The Award Recognizes the Outstanding Service Commitment of a Stamford College Student
Person to Person (P2P) is pleased to announce that Norwalk resident Anaelle Benjamin has been awarded this year’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship.
P2P’s Dr. King Scholarship award is given to students who are seniors in college, demonstrate an outstanding commitment to community service and leadership, and embody the ideals championed by Rev. Dr. King.
Ms. Benjamin is a senior at the University of Connecticut in Storrs pursuing a degree in psychology with a minor in sociology. On-campus, she has been involved in several volunteer initiatives. Through the #KindnessSSSproject, hosted by the Student Support Services’ office, she campaigned to spread kindness throughout the campus during Suicide Prevention Week. Ms. Benjamin also helped plan the 2022 Student Support Services’ Academic Achievers Award Ceremony as a member of the planning committee. Ms. Benjamin is an active First Year Experience (FYE) Mentor, working in an FYE classroom as an aid to help ease students’ transitions into college. Off campus, Ms. Benjamin enjoys working with children. Last summer she worked as a camp counselor at Norwalk Grassroots Tennis & Education, where she taught campers how to play tennis. After graduation, Ms. Benjamin plans to take a gap year before attending graduate school and pursuing a master’s degree in Industrial Psychology.
“Our Scholarship Committee is so pleased to award Anaelle this honor. Through her volunteer efforts, she has demonstrated compassion and a commitment to others, creating a positive impact on the UConn community,” said P2P CEO Nancy Coughlin. “Anaelle’s academic achievements combined with her desire to serve the community, especially younger students and children, make her an ideal recipient of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship award.”
The P2P Rev. Dr. King Scholarship is part of P2P’s overall Scholarship Program, first established in 1968. The program is dedicated to providing financial assistance to college students with economic need, many of whom are the first in their family to pursue higher education. This scholarship is funded by Allison Gagliardi, owner of Troy Insurance and P2P Board Member. Although Anaelle is unable to attend in person, the award will be presented to her parent Ms. Marie Fresnel during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at the Yerwood Center, Monday, January 16, 2023.
