Annually, the Eastern States Exposition (ESE) Scholarship recognizes the academic accomplishments of three outstanding graduates from West Springfield High School who plan to continue their education. This year’s recipients are Meksha Patel, Eibhlinn White and Jordyn Rossi. They were presented with their awards by ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy on Tuesday, June 10.
ESE’s mission champions agriculture, education and regional heritage, and these $1,500 scholarships award students who honor that mission by demonstrating academic excellence, exemplary leadership and a commitment to their community in accordance with the organization’s mission. By investing in the next generation, ESE supports those who will shape the future of Western Mass. and beyond.
Meksha Patel is ranked seventh in her graduating class. She gravitates toward leadership and has served as both secretary and treasurer of West Springfield High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society, vice president of Key Club, secretary of the Activist Club, vice president of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and treasurer of the class of 2025. She was on the girls varsity volleyball team and girls varsity track team throughout all four years. Outside of school, she volunteered her time with community organizations, including ISSO Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, Baystate Noble Hospital, Baystate Medical Center and It’s West Springfield, Inc. She was appointed town treasurer during the prestigious American Legion Auxiliary Girls State program and served as an assistant coach for a girls youth basketball team through the department of parks and recreation. Her resume includes internships with McLane & McLane Law Firm and West Springfield Town Hall. Patel’s extracurriculars have piqued her interest in economic theory and policy, so she plans to attend Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., on a law track to continue exploring how institutions navigate financial crises and become a corporate lawyer. Eventually she hopes to lend her expertise to students interested in a similar career path.
Eibhlinn White is an involved student that never misses an opportunity to give back while reaching for her career ambitions. She ran on the cross-country and track teams, volunteered through CYO basketball and the department of recreation and managed her school’s basketball and swim teams. She competes in equestrian showcases and is employed as a weekend barn manager at Valkyrie Equestrian Center in Granby, Conn. She is a student representative for the West of the River Chamber of Commerce. She lends much of her time her school’s Irish Club which facilitates an international exchange program in partnership with Dingle Public School in County Kerry, Ireland, as well as The Big E’s Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day festivities. White was selected as a member of the West Springfield Colleen Court in 2024, and she is a member of the West Springfield St. Patrick’s Parade Committee. Most recently, she interned with the high school’s history department to investigate Irish history. She took her education to the next level with the Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership and dual enrollment at Westfield State University in preparation for a nursing career, which she will pursue at Temple University in Philadelphia, Penn., this fall.
Jordyn Rossi is a hard-working young woman who maintained excellent academic standing while playing on West Springfield’s varsity softball and field hockey teams, ascending to captain on both. She was an involved member of the ski and snowboard club, student government and her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society. She volunteers with community organizations, including as a peer tutor, an assistant at the West Springfield High School Library and representative with Read Across America. She has an extensive career in food service including roles with West Side Bar and Grill, Donut Dip and the Buccaneer Lounge. Rossi has been enrolled in classes through Westfield State University since the start of her high school career. She recently began an internship at the Center for Human Development in Chicopee, Mass., and plans to study psychology and social work at The College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, Mass., where she will continue to be a dual-sport athlete.
ESE congratulates each of these exemplary students and looks forward to watching them lend their talents to the community in the years to come.
In addition to the ESE Scholarship, the organization annually contributes 1% of its gross annual revenue to the ESE-West Springfield Trust, which provides grant funding for community-based programs and initiatives supporting youth, senior citizens and education. Residents may submit grant applications through the Town of West Springfield’s official website, TownofWestSpringfield.org. Additionally, ESE hosts West Springfield High School’s graduation ceremony at the historic Coliseum each year at no rental cost and offers students of the town free admission to The Big E on West Springfield Day at the Fair through the town’s school systems.