The North End Music and Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) celebrates this year’s recipients of the 2024 Geraldine Marshall Scholarship Awards from the North End. The following NEMPAC students were awarded scholarships:
Emilia Bruno, age 5, studying private piano instruction, Ferdinand Carangelo, age 15 and studying private piano instruction, Alexandru-Victor Cristescu, age 8, studying private piano instruction, Noah Mendes, age 11, studying private piano, voice, and guitar instruction, Alexandra Rosa Perrina, age 14, studying private guitar instruction, Parker Watson, age 11, studying private guitar instruction.
The Geraldine Marshall Scholarship Fund is entering its 10th year and continues to preserve the legacy of a woman who loved children and the arts. The Scholarship Fund was established by Geraldine’s son, Representative Aaron Michlewitz. Ms. Marshall, who passed away ten years ago at the age of 68, was born in Dorchester in 1946, moved to the North End at the age of 21, and settled here for almost 50 years before her passing.
The fund also supported two youth music scholarships at the Community Music Center of Boston, including recipient Nikita Yang, and sponsored the annual merit-based NEMPAC Youth Music Competition.
Representative Michlewitz says, “Our family is once again excited to celebrate my mother’s dedication to providing young people with access to the arts. We are extremely thankful for everyone’s support of the Marshall Scholarship and congratulate this year’s beneficiaries.”
Marshall’s love of the arts and passion for the North End has inspired $45,000 in scholarships awarded to 42 youth students over the last 10 years to students seeking to participate in an arts enrichment program, such as private music lessons, enrollment in a group instrument program, or an after-school musical theatre.
“As an organization dedicated to fostering the growth and enrichment of young artists, we are grateful for the support orchestrated by this scholarship fund. It not only provides access to music and arts education but also cultivates deeper engagement in the arts in our entire community,” said Sherri Snow, Executive Director of NEMPAC.
On June 2nd, NEMPAC will host its 7th Annual North End Cornhole Classic, which continues to support the fund and the ability to make exceptional music programs more accessible to youth in the North End and City of Boston.
The Geraldine Marshall scholarship is such a wonderful way to remember and honor the loss of a loved one. Music is an amazing gift. It can put a smile on your face and fill your life with joy and happiness. That is exactly what this scholarship does. It brings joy and happiness to children who love and appreciate music.
—Terri Esposito, Parent of a NEMPAC Student, Geraldine Marshall Scholarship Recipient
I feel lucky to have an organization like NEMPAC at our doorstep. My two boys have been involved in NEMPAC activities for years, starting with Family Music Makers when they were babies. Now, they both take piano lessons and participate in the theater summer camp, as well as the musical theater troupe. The Geraldine Marshall Scholarship has helped our family to make these activities possible. Last year, my son, Preston, received the scholarship, and we were thrilled that this year, his brother, Nicholas, was awarded the scholarship. We are very thankful for the generosity of Aaron Michlewitz for continuing to support arts education.”
—Lauren Horan, Mom of Preston & Nicholas Horan, NEMPAC Students, Geraldine Marshall Scholarship Recipients
