BERLIN, N.H. – The Berlin City Bank Scholarships for Excellence are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, and five talented seniors from high schools in Berlin, Gorham, Groveton, Conway and Littleton are the recipients of this year’s awards.

The area students include Tess Finniggan-Allen who was awarded the scholarship at Berlin High School. She will study environmental conservation at the University of New Hampshire. Her aspiration is to “strive to preserve the natural beauty of the world.” Throughout her high school years, she was active in the school choir and band, and in athletic programs for which she received an award from the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women. She was a member of the National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Steve and Pat Finnigan-Allen.

Tasha Graff, the Gorham High School recipient of the Scholarship for Excellence, will study English at Bowdoin College. She is the daughter of Ingrid and Walter Graff.

She served as president of the National Honor Society and was the recipient of the Harvard Book Prize and numerous other scholarships and awards for outstanding achievement in several different disciplines. She attended advanced studies programs at Bennington and Middlebury Colleges, sang in the All New England Chorus and was president of Students Against Drunk Driving. Graff is looking forward to a career in teaching.

Abby Everleth, winner from Groveton High School, hopes to become a pharmacist, and will attend the Albany College of Pharmacy to prepare her for that career. She has been an honor student throughout her high school years, was a member of the Granite State Challenge Team. and attended two youth leadership conferences.

For eight years Everleth has been active in the 4-H, winning its Senior Sportsmanship Award after having held numerous leadership positions in the organization. Her parents are JoAnne and William Everleth.

The other winners are Catherine Lydecker from Kennett High School in Conway and AshleyLynn Gahagan-Merrill of Littleton High School.

Criteria for the scholarships, which were first awarded in 1979, are academic excellence, personal character and qualities of leadership.