Three other Joel Barlow students receive recognition from Redding Republicans at Joel Barlow Award Ceremony.
Willow Bradford, a member of the Joel Barlow High School graduating class of 2025 and daughter of Darrell and Cindy Bradford of Redding, was awarded the Redding Republicans’ Matthew L. Berry Memorial Scholarship, given at the school’s Award Night Ceremony on May 29th.
The scholarship, which is sponsored by the Redding Republican Town Committee and funded by the Berry family, is given annually to a graduating high school senior who demonstrates a commitment to using his/her higher education for the purpose of becoming an enlightened citizen who will make a difference in the world. The scholarship is in memory of Matthew L. Berry, a 2009 graduate of Joel Barlow High School and a 2013 graduate of Tulane University.
Miss Bradford, a high honors student throughout her 4 years at Joel Barlow, is receiving a Diploma with Distinction. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honors Society and was the 2024 winner of the Redding Republicans’ Dwight D. Eisenhower Book Award for excellence in science and mathematics. She was also the past winner of the Columbia Book Award for outstanding academic achievement and the Spotlight Award. Additionally, she won the 2022 Magna Cum Laude Latin Award and the 2021 Patricia Tuzzio Memorial Writers Award. At this year’s Barlow Awards Night, Ms. Bradford was also the recipient of these additional awards: the Joel Barlow High School Outstanding Achievement in Academics and the Arts Award; the Joel Barlow Scholarship Fund Award; The Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. She was also cited as a 2025 Senior Speakout Finalist for excellence in public speaking.
Outside of the classroom, Willow has been active in a number of organizations including the Joel Barlow Jazz Band, the Joel Barlow Red Cross Club, the Joel Barlow Habitat for Humanity Student Chapter, the Columbiad Newspaper, Safe Rides of Redding and Easton, and the Improv Troupe. An accomplished pianist, she has performed frequently at the First Church of Christ Congregational in Redding as well as a number of area assisted living homes. She has attended the Georgetown University HOYA American Politics Intensive Program and the Boston University Summer challenge program in Law and Chemistry of Medicine. She’s also worked as a counselor for the Redding Parks and Recreation Day Camp.
This fall she will be attending Barnard College and plans to major in Political Science.
“I am honored to receive the Matthew L. Berry Award and sincerely appreciate the generous scholarship to help me in the next stage of my education” said Miss Bradford. Leonard Berry, Matthew’s father, said, “We are very pleased to award the Matthew L. Berry Scholarship to Willow, who is clearly a very bright and talented young woman who has distinguished herself in so many ways and been the embodiment of an engaged and contributing member of both her school and community.” Jill Cilo, Chairman of the Republican Town Committee added, “It’s an honor for us to co-sponsor this award, together with the Berry family, and pay tribute to such an outstanding young person.”
Three other awards sponsored by the Republican Town Committee were given out at the Award Ceremony. They were:
The Ronald Reagan Award for excellence in history/government presented to Finn Bermingham, a junior.
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for excellence in science/math presented to Michael Sherman, a junior
The David A. Sanford Award for excellence in service to the Emergency Medical Services presented to Sydney Toro, a senior.