The Laurie Melchionda Endowed Scholarship

The Laurie Melchionda Endowed Scholarship, established by her family and members of the Laurie Melchionda Foundation, will be a perpetual tribute to Laurie’s devotion to her community and the children for whom she cared at Boston Children’s Hospital, in the Braintree and Weston Public school systems, and as a member of the Braintree and Weston Board of Health.

Laurie graduated class of 1984 from UMass Boston Nursing program, as president of her nursing class. Her work ethic was evident, and everything she did was with great passion. Laurie began her career at Boston Children’s Hospital where she worked for 35 years, but it was her own children’s needs that brought her into the world of school nursing in the town of Braintree. While balancing two jobs, no task was too small for Laurie and no cause was too daunting; from day-to-day nursing school children to getting legislation passed to require a full-time nurse in every public school. Education was one of Laurie’s greatest passions. As Director of Nurses in Braintree and Weston Public school systems, as well as a member of the Board of Health, she educated teachers and legislators and advocated for the students in her care.

In 2020, at the age of 59, Laurie was tragically murdered in her Braintree home. In the days following, the community came together and held a vigil to honor Laurie’s life. The overwhelming support shown by her family, friends and greater community spoke volumes of the number of lives that Laurie has touched. Considering her legacy, Laurie’s family established the Laurie Melchionda Foundation with a mission to spread “Laurie’s Love of Life” and continue her efforts of giving back to the community. It is with the continual support of donors that the foundation has been able to instate the Laurie Melchionda Endowed Scholarship Fund and Annual Scholarship for students in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.