Nellcie Bodden, a student at City on a Hill,  has won a scholarship worth $30,000 funded by ALKU, a specialized consulting services firm based in Andover. The company partnered with non-profit Mass Mentoring Partnership to select Bodden for the prize, given each year to an outstanding  high school senior who plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution.  This is the sixth year that ALKU has awarded a scholarship, and this year, they increased the amount from $20,000 to $30,000 in light of the added hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Representatives from ALKU presented the scholarship to Bodden at the recent Cheers for Champions Virtual Event.  The scholarship was created by ALKU founder and CEO Mark Eldridge who is also a member of MMP’s Governing Board.  

According to Eldridge, selecting the winner is both the most rewarding and most difficult job he faces each year.

“Every year, it gives me such pride and joy to see so many worthy candidates,” Eldridge said. “In the end, one application always rises to the top. This year was no different. The employees at ALKU are so passionate about this scholarship because we get to see the impact of our efforts in action.”

Bodden was matched with two mentors from the Minds Matter Boston program, both attorneys who encouraged Bodden’s interest in social justice.

Bodden stated “Today’s society is not structured to benefit everyone equally. That is why I want to be a voice advocating for those who do not have a chance to speak up.”  Bodden intends to use the scholarship to pursue a degree in psychology or political science.

“We are very grateful to Mark and the team at ALKU for their deep and heartfelt commitment to supporting young people across the state,” said Lily Mendez, Mass Mentoring Partnership’s President and CEO.   “ALKU understands how having a caring, supportive, and consistent mentor can make all the difference to a young person. In her application, Nellcie wrote that her mentors had motivated her to be the best version of herself. That is what mentoring is all about, and ALKU has demonstrated over and over that they fundamentally understand that.”