Chestnut Hill Rotary members Jay Pennie, Chris Spolsky and her husband, Tom Uzzell, attended the 2024 Scholarship Awards Dinner on Thursday evening at the Williamson College of the Trades. The celebration dinner brought together over 100 attendees, including teachers, faculty, board and school administration with student recipients of scholarships to thank donors for their support.
Among the attendees was the recipient of the Arthur & Bright Judson Scholarship, Thomas Updike, a young and enthusiastic junior who is majoring in the Landscape Construction Management Program.
More than 120 scholarship recipients and their donors joined school officials in celebrating the successes of the 2023-24 scholars.
"I want to thank you for funding this scholarship and providing me with this opportunity," said Updike. "I believe that I have a bright future ahead and my ultimate goal is to own my own landscaping business." Updike, who expects to graduate in 2025, is also a member of the Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America. He says it's similar to Rotary in that each weekend there are service projects that the group participate in to help the local community. He also loves football and performs with the choir.
A highlight of the evening was hearing from another student, Darren Garcia, who spoke about how attending Williamson changed his life. “I probably would be homeless and without hope,” said Garcia. In addition to providing training in the trades, the school instills excellence, integrity, diligence, and service, which is the organization’s core values. Students are required to do work supporting the school’s operations in exchange for free or low cost tuition. Students live on campus Monday through Friday and alcohol and tobacco are forbidden on campus.
Pictured, l-r, Tom Uzell, Chris Spolsky, Thomas Updike, and Jay Pennie
The school boasts a 98% placement rate, a 72% graduation rate, and a $0 cost to students including room and board, a point that the board chairman William Bonenberger emphasized. He’s a 1979 graduate whose life was turned around by Williamson. He started his own company, W. B. Homes, Inc. and became one of the largest home builders in Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania. “When we have career fairs in the spring and fall, we have 65 companies lined up to hire our graduates,” said Bonenberger. According to Bonenberger, Williamson sees more than 500 applicants but only can accept 124.
Art and Bright Judson
The Rotary Clubs of Chestnut Hill and Philadelphia created the Judson Education Fund to honor the accomplishments of Art and Bright Judson. Art was originally a member of Philadelphia Rotary and then later transferred to Chestnut Hill. Art, who passed away in 2020 from complications from COVID, had a successful business career that spanned 60 years and retired from Morgan Stanley in his 80s. He also achieved several high-ranking officer positions in the U.S. Navy and served in the Korean War.
The two-year scholarship was awarded in the fall of 2023 for $17,402 and was funded by Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill and other area clubs as well as Morgan Stanley. Thomas Updike plans to visit the Chestnut Hill Rotary meeting on April 24 to meet members and thank everyone for their support.
You can download a copy of Updike’s award letter and background here.
