OPENCAPE CORPORATION AWARDS $25,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS
Barnstable-based ISP encouraged students to submit short essays outlining how broadband networks have impacted their education
BARNSTABLE, MASS, June 2, 2022 – OpenCape Corporation, the nonprofit internet service provider that owns and operates the 100% fiber optic network on the Cape, Islands, and Southeastern Massachusetts, announced it plans to award $25,000 in scholarship funds in June 2022, an increase of 66% over the previous year.
This is the second year of OpenCape’s Scholarship Program. Administered by the Mission Committee of OpenCape’s Board of Directors, committee members worked with guidance counselors and school support staff to collect and review the applications. At the close of the selection process, $1,000 awards will be sent to 25 graduating seniors from 10 public high schools across the Cape who are continuing their education at an accredited post-secondary institution.
“The selection process was surprisingly tough,” said OpenCape Board Chairman John Campbell. “We received many strong applications from across the region. In the end, we looked at a combination of factors including demonstrable financial need, academic achievement, and initiative. The students who were chosen had applications that came through very strongly in all these areas,” said Campbell.
OpenCape scholarship award winner and Mashpee High School senior Skyla Rimple plans to use the scholarship funds to help offset the cost of tuition at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where she will study political science and urban studies. Rimple aspires to a career in urban planning where she can combine her passion for mapping/geography with community service and empowerment. “When planning future cities, broadband networks are what will power them,” Rimple outlined in her application essay, “so it will be important for them to be located strategically so they are accessible, affordable and resilient to inclement weather.”
Mission Committee member Bob Green noted the commonality in the essays submitted with the scholarship applications. “Students wrote very compelling essays detailing the importance of reliable high-speed internet for them to study, access online coursework, and perform research for projects. It’s clear these students understand the importance of being connected, and I think our information technology future is bright with so many promising young people heading off to college.”
About OpenCape Corporation
OpenCape Corporation is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit technology company headquartered in Barnstable Village at the Barnstable County Complex. OpenCape owns and operates a state-of-the-art 100% fiber optic network built to serve local governments, businesses, and residents of Barnstable, Bristol, Plymouth, Dukes and Nantucket counties. For more information, please visit www.opencape.org
