The Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords is pleased to award scholarships every Spring to high school seniors pursuing music or nursing careers. With your support, we have awarded over $90,000 in scholarship money. Please join us in congratulating our recent recipients.
The Music Scholarship will now be known as the GINA FREDERICKS MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP in honor of Gina Fredericks (recently retired) who served as our Music Director for 32 years. Thank you, Gina, for your years of dedication!
COMPLETED APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED TO THE ADDRESS ON THE APPLICATION BY: MARCH 13TH, 2026. PLEASE SUBMIT ANY QUESTIONS TO diann.amici@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to our Scholarship Fund, please click here
Congratulations to All Our Recipients!
2025 Scholarship Recipients

2024 Scholarship Recipients

Braeden Shizume – (in honor of the Gina Fredericks Music Scholarship) Nathan Hale Ray High School — attending Frost School of Music at the University of Miami Music Program
Abbey Pickel – Portland High School attending East Carolina University — nursing program
Olivia Collins – Mercy High School, attending Georgetown University — nursing program
2023 Scholarship Recipients
Mackenzie True – Graduate of Westbrook High School attending the University of Delaware in the Nursing Program
Catherine Minegar – Graduate of Old Saybrook High School attending Salve Regina in Rhode Island in the Nursing Program
Drew MacNeil – Graduate of Nathan Hale Ray High School attending the University of Connecticut in the Music Program
2022 Scholarship Recipients
Julia Farnoli – graduated from Westbrook High School and will be attending the University of Connecticut in the Nursing Program.
Madeline Keithan – graduated from Haddam-Killingworth High School and will be attending CONN College in the Music, Production/Technology Program.
2019 Scholarship Recipients
Mikayla Bruton – graduated from Valley Regional High School and will be attending the nursing program at Southern CT State University.
Emily Dell’Orfano – graduated from Coginchaug Regional High School and will be attending the music program at the University of Connecticut.
2018 Scholarship Recipients
Jordan McMillan – graduated from Morgan School in Clinton and will be attending the University of Rhode Island majoring in nursing.
Alexander Stephan – graduated from Coginchaug Regional High School in Durham and will be attending Boston University majoring in music education.
2017 Scholarship Recipients
Alyssa Diaz – graduating from Old Saybrook High School and attending Catholic University of America majoring in nursing.

2016 Scholarship Recipients
Sarah Blewett – Graduated from Haddam/Killingworth High School
Attending: Salve Regina University majoring in Nursing
Gabriella St. Pierre – Graduated from Mercy High School
Attending: Fairfield University majoring in Nursing
Elizabeth T. Ryan – Graduated from Nathan-Hale Ray High School
Attending: Indiana University majoring in BM Oboe Performance
2015 Scholarship Recipients

Nicholas Indorf – Graduated from Xavier High
Attending: Yale University; Music Performance and Pre-Med
Gabriella Varela – Graduated from Portland High
Attending: Quinnipiac University’s Nursing Program
2014 Scholarship Recipients
Emily Guilmette – Graduated from Portland High
Attending: University of Miami; Playing for the U of M Marching Band
Maisey Ayer – Graduated from Mercy High
Attending: University of Connecticut Nursing Program
2013 Scholarship Recipients
Brooklyn Gonzales – Graduated from Mercy High
Attending: Fairfield University
Alexandra Horwitz – Graduated from Cromwell High
Attending: Ohio State University
Kimberly Nowakowski – Graduated from East Hampton High
Attending: Villanova University
2012 Scholarship Recipients

Awards are presented each year at the Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords’s Spring Concert held at Portland High School. Three of the four winners were able to accept their awards on May 21, 2012 ~ (from left to right) Catherine Perrotti, Elizabeth Konefal, and Matthew Chiu. Parents of Andrew Satterberg, who could not attend the May 19th concert, were present to accept his grant.
2011 Scholarship Recipients

Awards are presented each year at the Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords’s Spring Concert held at Portland High School. Three of the five winners were able to accept their awards on May 21, 2011 ~ (from left to right) Kaitlyn Passons, Nathan Fletcher and Kristina Unikewicz.
Nathan Fletcher ~ graduated from Middletown High
Attending the University of Connecticut majoring in Music Education.
Kathryn Rogers ~ graduated from Mercy High
Attending the University of Delaware majoring in Nursing.
Laura Hargreaves ~ graduated from Coginchaug Regional High;
Attending St. Anselm College majoring in Nursing.
Kaitlyn Passons ~ graduated from Middletown High;
Attending Western CT State University majoring in Music Education.
Kristina Unikewicz ~ graduated from Mercy High;
Attending the University of Vermont majoring in Nursing.
