05/20/2026
Methuen Community Studios is proud to announce the 2026 Skelly Scholarship winners, honoring the memory of our founding Board President Dave Skelly.
🎓 Jillian Clements, a freshman at St. Anselm's College, impressed the committee with the scope of her service. As a member of DECA, she helped raise money for the Jimmy Fund, culminating in sending 45 cards to children struggling with cancer through the holidays. Volunteering at Lazarus House, local food pantries, and Granite YMCA, this future nurse learned the importance of connecting with people. "Through acts of service and volunteer work, I have learned from others, gained different perspectives, and discovered unique ways to contribute in every situation. I have learned that giving to society doesn’t only support others, but it transforms me into a better person as well," she said.
🎓 Diana Aguilar Zeballos, a nursing and phlebotomy student at Northern Essex Community College, has also served the community, helping elders, families and youth through the Family Resource center and Uncommon Threads. She has completed a research project on two violent juveniles, seeking causes for their behavior. The committee was impressed that she is doing so much while raising a child. "I will love to open an organization to help prevent domestic violence or educate the community about special needs and empathy. I love to help. Every time I assist at a workshop or seminar about an interesting topic, I share on Facebook or Instagram, because I believe that if you receive a blessing, or new knowledge, you should share so more people can be part of this chain," she said.
🎓 Nicholas Donatelli came to Methuen Community Studios through a youth summer camp program at age 11 where he operated cameras and contributed to several programs. An avid Boy Scout in Pack 52, he assisted the local food pantry with food collections, made cards and visited nursing home residents during the holidays. Graduating this year from Greater Lawrence Technical High School, Donatelli worked on a project creating a robot that could scoop cookie dough, helping the culinary students do their work with less physical strain. "I got to solve a huge problem in our school and learned a lot about the engineering process through it," he said. He plans to study Electromechanical Engineering.
Congratulations to all three recipients!
