Masuk High School senior Claudia Mensah has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious $22,000 Barton L. Weller Scholarship. Established in 1977 in memory of Barton Weller, the late founder of Vitramon, Inc. in Monroe, the scholarship honors his legacy by supporting academic excellence through independent research and study projects.
The Barton L. Weller Scholarship, awarded annually, recognizes exceptional senior students from Masuk, Joel Barlow, Newtown, Shelton, and Trumbull High Schools.
This year, 19 proposals were submitted, and Mensah was selected as one of the five finalists. The scholarship, which reflects Weller’s enduring commitment to education and his belief in the power of scholarly achievement, provides students with a significant opportunity to pursue academic projects that demonstrate creativity, intellectual curiosity, and a drive for excellence.
Mensah’s project, Harnessing Eco-friendly Excavators and Mobile Water Filtration Systems to Mitigate the Effects of Galamsey in Ghana, seeks to address the environmental and social challenges posed by illegal mining (Galamsey) in Ghana, while promoting more sustainable mining practices.
By introducing eco-friendly excavators and mobile water filtration systems, the project aims to reduce water pollution and restore the ecological health of areas affected by illegal mining.
Improved water quality will not only enhance public health in local communities, but also boost agricultural productivity. This initiative tackles the immediate consequences of Galamsey while fostering long-term community resilience and economic stability. Ultimately, it paves the way for a more sustainable future, benefiting both the environment and the people of Ghana.
The other four finalists competing for the scholarship are:
- Juliana Qiu: Joel Barlow High School, project: Economic Marginalization of Rural Enterprises: An Empirical Study of Systemic Barriers and Policy Interventions in the Agriculture Sector.
- Aadit Jerfy: Newtown High School, project: Machine Learning-based Real-Time Captioning and Simplification for English Language Learner (ELL) Students.
- Shane John: Trumbull High School, project: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair: Biomaterial Approach Using Mussel Byssal Threads.
- Emmett White: Trumbull High School, project: DIY Spectrophotometer Kit.
Completed projects are due by March 4, 2025, and finalists will be invited to interview for the scholarship.
The $22,000 Barton L. Weller Scholarship will be awarded to the finalist with the most outstanding project, based solely on merit rather than financial need. The funds will be directly transferred to the recipient’s college or university account.
Each finalist received a $200 stipend on November 7, 2024, to help cover expenses related to their project over the next five months. The scholarship recipient will be announced on March 22, 2025.
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