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CHELMSFORD, Massachusetts (May 21, 2026) – The Council of Chelmsford Schools (CoCS) recently awarded its annual scholarship to one very worthy member of Chelmsford High School’s Class of 2026.

Each spring, the CoCS awards a scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, to a graduating CHS senior who plan to attend a two- or four-year college in the fall.

The Council also awards $100 to the Chelmsford Public Schools staff member who inspired the recipient’s essay.

This year’s recipient was Samhita Badhri (Matt Bartos).

During its meeting on Monday, May 18, the CoCS invited Badhri to share her essay. In it, she recalled her first AP Seminar class back in August when CHS educator Matt Bartos asked Badhri and her classmates to “write down a problem in the world that you think is important.”

After wracking her brain, Badhri wrote down “climate change.” Once everyone had written something down, Bartos offered up some words that Badhri said she has carried with her ever since: “Over the course of this year, a lot of people will ask you what you want to do in the future. This might be another way to think about it.”

“Regardless of my major in college or my chosen school, I center my experiences and aspirations around the problems I am passionate about,” she said.

Badhri said she was fortunate to have Bartos as her teacher in AP Language and Composition this past year, as well.

“Both [classes] fundamentally fueled my passion and appreciation for language and its relation to civic engagement,” she said. “At the heart of every one of our projects was its connection to our lives or interests. … Mr. Bartos challenged us to change how we examine the world. He pushed us to question, to critique existing literature and come to our own conclusions, but most importantly to never lose sight of the problem – of our ‘why.’”

During her time at Chelmsford Public Schools, Badhri said there have been countless teachers who have cultivated her curiosity and inspired her to love subjects from geography to math to biology.

“But Mr. Bartos gave me a newfound appreciation for writing in the context of my own life,” she said. “He reignited my passion for writing and inspired me to never compromise in doing the things I care about no matter how ambitious or unrealistic they may seem.”

But more importantly, Badhri said Bartos is simply “an exemplary human” who showed “unwavering empathy and understanding” to his students.

“Every generation inherits its own set of challenges to tackle,” she said. “I believe that my classmates and I would all agree that, while Mr. Bartos shared with us incredibly hilarious, inspiring, and gut wrenching works of writing and prepped us for our exams with timed essays and MCQ practice, he more importantly helped us to become problem solvers – each of us ready to take on the issues we care about, more informed, more confident and with more compassion.”

Badhri will be attending Purdue University in the fall to study biomedical engineering with a double-major or minor in policy/political science.

About Chelmsford Public Schools

The Chelmsford Public School District provides all students with multiple pathways to optimize their own potential for academic excellence, leadership, and social and emotional wellness. The mission of the Chelmsford Public Schools is to educate, engage, prepare, and empower well-rounded and knowledgeable learners to PERSEVERE through challenges, demonstrate RESPECT and INTEGRITY in their words and actions, are DEDICATED to their community, and display EMPATHY as global citizens while discovering and pursuing their full potential. This PRIDE-driven culture enables all members of the school community to support the growth and development of students. For more information, please visit www.chelmsfordschools.org.