WOLCOTT – Rachel Givens, a 2016 graduate of Wolcott High School, has received a Leslie R. Leeds Memorial Scholarship, one of just three scholarships awarded annually by the Connecticut School Transportation Association.

Givens will use the $1,000 scholarship to help finance her education at the University of Connecticut, Waterbury where she is majoring in Comprehensive Special Education. Givens is the daughter of Danielle and Roy Givens of Wolcott. Roy is a school bus driver in Wolcott for All-Star Transportation.

COSTA, the organization representing Connecticut school bus companies, established the scholarship program 20 years ago in memory of Leslie R. Leeds, who died in 1996 at age 23. Leeds was a Burlington native and the valedictorian of the Class of 1991 at Lewis S. Mills High School. Her mother, Robin, served as the executive director of COSTA from 1982-2004.

“Many students have benefited from this scholarship and we look forward to many more years of helping students fulfill their academic dream.,” said Donna Legault, association manager at COSTA.

The scholarship program is open to COSTA member employees and their dependents. Applicants must be enrolled in or accepted by an accredited institution of higher education, and applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Along with the completed application, high school or college transcripts, essay, and two letters of recommendation are required.

The members of this year’s scholarship committee were: Lucille Ayotte from First Student; Cathy Heath from LEARN; and Ron Tymula from Student Transportation of America.