Franklin First Federal Credit Union in Greenfield, Massachusetts, recently awarded $5,000 in scholarships to six local students.

Matthew Walsh, Celia Speth, Molley Duclos, and Mckenna Wells each won $1,000. Walsh, as the top scholarship candidate, was selected as the recipient of the Ari Brown-Weeks Scholarship, named in honor of Brown-Weeks, a paratrooper in the United States Army, who died in Iraq in 2007. Brown-Weeks was a Franklin County resident.

Jillian Connelly and Alejo Zacarias won $500 scholarships.

"Once again, we are pleased to recognize the accomplishments of our scholarship recipients to help them pursue their academic goals in higher education," said Franklin First CEO/President Michelle Dwyer. "Additionally, we are proud to continue to honor the memory of Specialist Ari Brown-Weeks with the scholarship bearing his name. Franklin First offers congratulations to all the recipients."

The $1,000 scholarships are given annually to students attending four-year college programs, while the $500 awards are for students attending two-year colleges. Winners are judged on grades, extracurricular activities, community service, and a written essay.