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LOWELL — Determined to help young people facing significant personal challenges continue their education and achieve greater independence, longtime friends Dave Aldrich and Ronnie Hoey turned to the Greater Lowell Community Foundation to establish the Jump Start Scholarship Program.
Designed specifically for nontraditional students, Jump Start awards $2,500 scholarships twice a year to individuals striving to get their lives in order by studying at accredited vocational training programs, certificate programs, community colleges, or four-year colleges and universities.
Launched in 2023, Jump Start has awarded more than $70,000 to 28 individuals, ages 18 and above to assist in their higher educational goals.
“The Jump Start Scholarship program is just one more way the Greater Lowell Community Foundation works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals,” said GLCF Vice President of Marketing, Programs & Strategy Jennifer Aradhya. “The Foundation facilitates almost 300 scholarship programs, and in this case, we worked with Dave and the Aldrich Family Charitable Foundation to create a more nontraditional scholarship fund to give students a second chance at higher education or an accredited career training program.”
Jump Start awards larger scholarships twice a year and allows recipients to reapply each time the application process opens. As with many GLCF scholarship programs, Jump Start’s founders manage their own awards process, Aradhya explained. Hoey and Aldrich are responsible for community outreach to promote applications, and a committee reviews applicant submissions and facilitates the selection process.
“GLCF advises them on best practices and provides advice on how to run a successful scholarship program,” said Aradhya. “But Dave and Ronnie do the heavy lift on Jump Start.”
Probably the most unique aspect about the Jump Start Scholarship Program is that it focuses on students who have had a tough time launching into adulthood, said Aldrich. “Many young adults need assistance until they can become more self-sufficient and get on their feet,” he said.
“Often these students experienced various forms of trauma when they ventured off the traditional path of finishing high school and going right on to college. With Jump Start, we look for folks who have had the experience of lifting themselves up, of overcoming challenges, and who want to find a good job or finish their education,” he said.
“It’s actually part of the Jump Start application process for students to identify the experiences and trauma that have led them to apply,” added Hoey.
Jump Start is an outgrowth of Project Kompass, the North Chelmsford women’s transitional-housing nonprofit Aldrich and Hoey founded in January 2020. Hoey serves as executive director of Project Kompass and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the residential program.
“Project Kompass welcomes young women who want to work or continue their education, and pay it forward,” said Aldrich, founder and prior CEO and chairman of the board of Skyworks Solutions Inc. He also serves as board chairman of Project Kompass.
However, as Hoey and Aldrich got Project Kompass up and running, they realized their targeted cohort was experiencing yet another gap in support services.
“We learned that some of our residents were having trouble accessing the direct financial assistance they needed to continue their educations,” Hoey said.
So, Aldrich and Hoey — who have known each other and worked together in the high-tech industry for 35 years — set up the Jump Start Scholarship Program through GLCF.
For 18-year-old Raya Simpson, of Wilmington — one of the 21 communities GLCF serves — receiving a Jump Start Scholarship has relieved financial pressures.
“I’ve been concerned about money and how to pursue further education,” said Simpson, who plans to study animation at Georgia’s Savannah College of Art & Design in the fall. “I live with my single dad who works tirelessly to help me achieve my dreams, but money is a real concern. Figuring out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and loans and what we can pay has been hectic. This scholarship alleviates the pressure of facing tuition bills.”
“Jump Start applicants don’t have to have a high school diploma,” stressed Aldrich. “And it’s a very easy application process, not some long, multi-page application. Thus far, we have helped almost 20 hard-working students — men and women — attend vocational schools, trade schools, art schools, beauty academies,” he said. “It’s quite varied, and that’s the point.”
The spring 2025 Jump Start Scholarship application opens in April. For details and to apply, visit glcfoundation.info/3yX3y0o.
The Greater Lowell Community Foundation provides opportunities to create a fund and establish a significant and lasting charitable legacy. To learn more about these empowering opportunities at GLCF, contact Jay Linnehan at 978-970-1600, email info@glcfoundation.org or visit glcfoundation.org.
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