Melissa Grasso Selected as the 2021 Tom and Roberta Drewes Scholarship Recipient

The American Library Association (ALA) has chosen Melissa Grasso of Brookline, Massachusetts as the 2021 Tom and Roberta Drewes Scholarship recipient.

The $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a library support staff worker who is pursuing a master’s degree in library and information science.

Grasso currently works as a library assistant in the Boston College Law Library. She wants to “help libraries adapt their services and put updated tools of education into the hands of patrons.” Grasso commented that as a student of classical studies, she “learned to value the transformative power that education has to make people care for fellow human beings.”  

References raved about her enthusiasm and creativity in providing services to students and library patrons. One person commented that “her enthusiasm is unmatched, and she is always willing to learn new things and take on new challenges.”  Another person stated that “she has displayed impressive leadership qualities as well as enthusiasm and creativity in taking on responsibility for the library.” Yet another person said of Grasso, that “she is a genuine life-long learner who is gifted in sharing with others. Her greatest strength is her ability to connect with her students. She will make a top-notch librarian.”

Grasso is attending Simmons University in Boston.         

For information on the ALA Scholarship program, visit the scholarship page.

The ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) manages the ALA Scholarship Clearinghouse.