John J. McCarthy Fund

The establishment of this fund was announced in March 1991 on the occasion of John McCarthy’s retirement as Town Accountant. John was known as a “Wakefield legend” whose service to the town dated back to 1950. In 1960, John, a Charter Member of The Scholarship Foundation of Wakefield, traveled to Fall River, MA with the late Bill Lee to learn first-hand about the unique Dollars for Scholars program initiated by Dr. Irving Fradkin. As a result of this visit, TSF of Wakefield was born and it has continued to grow, thanks in no small part to the efforts of John J. McCarthy, Sr. He served on both the 25th and 40th Anniversary Committees of TSF and was proud to see his son, John, Jr., serve as president of TSF during the 1990s. Mr. McCarthy passed away in July of 2003. Wakefield’s Senior Citizen Center was named in his honor.

Scholarship Recipients

2026

  • Jessica Auffrey — Stonehill College
  • Amanda Courtright — Keene State College
  • Joseph Fuery — Merrimack College
  • Charles Gagne — Boston College
  • Jo Kennedy — University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Monika Koni — Loras College
  • Rowan Mondello — Babson College
  • Maeve Schermerhorn — Babson College
  • Adam Skobe — University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Sarah Tippa — Bentley University
  • Ava Vaughn — University of Massachusetts, Lowell

2025

  • Thomas Dowd — Bryant University
  • William Garside — Roger Williams University
  • Jack Hodgdon — Providence College
  • Luke Ickes — University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  • Amanda Melo — Merrimack College
  • Rowan Mondello — Babson College
  • Caden Munro — Salem State University
  • Giuliana O’Neill — Sacred Heart University
  • Aidan Riley — Fairfield University
  • Ava Tramontozzi — Gordon College

2024

  • Isabella Birchem — Northeastern University
  • John Curran — Plymouth State University
  • Erin Heffernan — Fitchburg State University - online
  • Luke Ickes — University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Olivia Johnsen — University of Rhode Island
  • Matthew McKean — Merrimack College
  • Rowan Mondello — Babson College
  • Aidan Riley — Fairfield University
  • Timothy Sampson — Berklee College of Music
  • Madeline Seabury — University of Massachusetts - Amherst

2023

  • Thomas Curran — University of Notre Dame
  • Erin Donald — Roger Williams University
  • Colby Lee — Franklin Pierce University
  • Matthew McKean — Merrimack College
  • Owen Riddell — University of Rhode Island
  • Sophia Scalzo — Stonehill College
  • Lily Smith — College of the Holy Cross
  • Talia Thomson — Gordon College
  • Julia Tobey — Boston College
  • Jessica Yianacopolus — College of Charleston

Recent News

Establishment of the Celeste Landers Wentworth Fund

Celeste Landers Wentworth was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend, who passed away on June 12, 2026. Celeste was raised in Wakefield, Massachusetts, where she attended the public schools and graduated from Wakefield High School.  She continued her...

2026 Merit Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to the 2026 Merit Award Winners on their outstanding achievements! These exceptional students are recognized for their academic, extracurricular, and leadership accomplishments.Bill Spaulding Merit AwardThe Bill Spaulding Merit Award honors an esteemed...

Establishment of the Babb Family Scholarship

The Scholarship Foundation of Wakefield, Inc. (TSF) is honored to announce the establishment of the Babb Family Scholarship.  The Babb Family established this fund in honor of their deep roots and commitment to the community.   Pictured left to right are Babb Family...