2026 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
David Shiman Scholarship
Kaylee Bushee
Kaylee is graduating from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and minors in Psychological Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Over the past three and a half years, she has served as a Residential Advisor, supporting and advocating for students. She has participated in the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty Internship program, providing case management for unhoused women and children at Uniting Partners for Women and Children in Louisville, Kentucky. Over the past year, she participated in policy advocacy and implementation alongside Representative Barbara Rachelson. Kaylee will continue at UVM to pursue her Master's in Social Work through the Title IV-E Child Welfare Program.
Jeffrey Brace Scholarships
Ava Byrne
Ava is a secondary education major at the University of Vermont. Throughout her first year, she dedicated much of her time to service organizations in the Burlington community, including the Pad Project and UVM FeelGood. Her work with these charitable groups reflects her commitment to making the world a better place. This passion for helping others inspired Ava’s path toward becoming a high school English teacher. As an educator, she hopes to empower future agents of change by fostering an inclusive, supportive classroom for diverse learners. Ava looks forward to continuing her academic studies at UVM.
Amber Luce
Amber is a graduate student in the history program at UVM studying the diplomatic networks of the Early Modern Mediterranean. She has been involved in Burlington and UVM politics since high school through organizations such as the Vermont Progressive Party, Students for Justice in Palestine, and presently Graduate Students United. Core concerns of hers involve the fight for queer liberation, anti-imperialist praxis, and organizing for freedom from capitalist coercions. She believes that education is the first step in the struggle for liberation and aims to wield the former in service of the latter wherever she goes.
Tyrell Frederick
Tyrell is a Direct-Entry Master's in Nursing student at UVM. Before becoming a nurse, Tyrell worked as a public librarian for the Santa Clara County Library District, where he served both adults and children. He has made contributions to library reference services for incarcerated adults in San Francisco County, as well as technical and support services to tribal libraries located in Yurok tribal lands in Northern California. Tyrell is especially passionate about providing adult literacy and ESL services to immigrant and refugee communities, and he is excited to bring his experiences as a librarian into his career as a nurse, where he will be able to act as a change agent and advocate for patients receiving care.
Linda Backus Memorial Scholarship
Neil Rohan
Neil is a Political Science and Geography student at the University of Vermont. A Montpelier, Vermont native, Neil has dedicated nine years to competitive debate as a competitor, instructor, and mentor, including teaching students in Tanzania in 2024. His commitment to community service spans field research in Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park, constituent work in Senator Bernie Sanders' Burlington office, and flood recovery and economic development efforts with Montpelier Alive. Neil believes meaningful service is relational, not transactional, and is committed to building capacity for justice in the communities he serves.