When Chloe Galloza was invited to the Cheshire Academy Admission Office on March 9, she didn’t expect that she would be walking away as the school’s newest member of the class of 2024.

Galloza, an eighth-grade student at Dodd Middle School, was named the recipient of the 2020 Town Scholarship, a prestigious award that provides one eighth grader living in Cheshire, Connecticut, a four-year, full-paid scholarship to Cheshire Academy.

As one of three children, Galloza at first didn’t believe her eyes when she entered the office to see balloons and a group congratulating her.

“With a brother and sister, I immediately thought it was a joke,” she reflected. “Then I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is real.’ It was crazy. It feels like a dream. It was so unreal.”

Originating in 1938, the Town Scholarship recipient must have demonstrated scholarship, citizenship, and leadership during their middle school years and, throughout the application process, expressed a sincere interest in and an ability to contribute positively to both CA and the greater Cheshire community.

“You have demonstrated to us that you have the ambition to lead by example, and the ability to inspire your peers to maximize their potential—admirable traits of a student leader and a Town Scholar,” Director of Admission Sara Lynn Leavenworth told Galloza during her visit.

For Galloza, getting accepted into Cheshire Academy has been a longtime dream. Since she was in fourth grade, she has aspired to get into a college-preparatory school, and CA met all her requirements: small class sizes, an individualized learning approach, and a diverse campus with students from 19 states and 31 countries. However, she originally didn’t plan to pursue the Town Scholarship until Christine D’Angelo, admission associate for international recruitment, informed Galloza that she would be a good candidate.

Despite the late start, Galloza went through the application process, which called for completion of the Secondary School Admission Test, an in-person interview, and submission of an essay explaining why she believed she should be the next Town Scholar. In her essay, she wrote about the impact one person can have on the world, and reflected on her passion for gardening, and growing healthy and organic foods.

“I believe one person, one leader, can make all the difference,” Galloza wrote. “However, the trend must start with someone, and I strive to be that someone.”

Galloza has been gardening with her mother since she was 4 years old, creating delicious meals out of their yields yet, to this day, Galloza remains impressed at how one seed with good soil, water, and sun can result in months of food. Galloza compared CA to her “ideal soil” where she can grow academically and as a person.

Galloza’s parents, Jacob and Inez Galloza, were proud of their daughter’s accomplishment.

“It was actually a dream of hers to come to Cheshire Academy for several years,” Jacob Inez said. “To see it come to fruition is really exciting. We feel blessed.”

Inez Galloza added, “We’re just incredibly proud of her, not just because of all the hard work she’s done to get to this point, but because of who she is as a person. She’s an incredible person.”

Galloza will be joining her brother, Micah, this fall at CA. Micah is a member of the class of 2023.

For more information on the Town Scholarship, visit www.cheshireacademy.org/town-scholarship.