UIL Holdings Corp. has awarded its first $2,000 scholarship from the
Kimberly J. Norris Memorial Scholarship Fund to Rayquiner Hills, a 2013
graduate of Bassick High School and a freshman at the University of
Connecticut’s Stamford campus.
“I feel very blessed to receive the Norris Memorial Scholarship,”
Hills said. “The money will help me pay for a laptop and other college
expenses.”
The fund was established in honor of Kimberly J. Norris, a training
specialist who worked for the United Illuminating Co. for 30 years
before passing away in September 2012.
Norris was a proponent of life-long learning and recognized the
importance of education. Later in life, she decided to go back to school
to get her associate’s degree as part of her own professional growth.
She inspired her fellow colleagues with her determination and
perseverance.
This memorial scholarship is a tribute to her memory and is a
partnership between UIL Holdings and the Bridgeport Public Education
Fund. The fund awards a college student attending a two-year or
four-year college with a major in business.
Students participating in the Bridgeport Public Education Fund’s
College Assistance Program (CAP) were eligible to apply. To qualify and
receive the scholarship, Hills had to submit an essay, demonstrate
financial need and achieve a minimum GPA of 2.5 during her senior year
of high school.
“Kim was a person who truly believed in giving back,” said Elisabet
Torres, a UI human resources training specialist who worked closely with
Norris. “She was a selfless, motivated and happy-go-lucky person who
was loved by everyone in the Customer Care Center. She believed in
sharing all the knowledge that she had, and I think Kim would be proud
to know that a college student is benefiting from a scholarship in her
memory.”