Christopher Blair Erickson Memorial Scholarship
($500 Annual Award) The Christopher Blair Erickson Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a sophomore, junior or senior who best meets the following criteria:
Holds a grade point average of 3.0 or above
Participates in extracurricular or community service activities
Demonstrates a strong sense of personal responsibility and team spirit
Provides references detailing leadership and self-reliance
Applicants must submit a short essay detailing their strong sense of personal responsibility and team spirit.
Christopher Blair Erickson grew up in Holden and graduated from Wachusett Regional High School in 2003. He played football for both Wachusett Regional High School and Massachusetts Maritime.
His Wachusett coach, Mike Dubzinski, said Chris was instrumental in creating a new football culture at the high school and was a wonderful role model to his fellow players. He also said Chris began a tradition of high school players going on to serve as college football captains. Chris’s jersey number was 76 at both schools.
He was also an outstanding student and enjoyed mentoring other students. He enjoyed scouting and attained the rank of Eagle Scout with a project on the Wachusett Greenways Rail Trail.
He received the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship and graduated magna cum laude from Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and a United States Coast Guard license as a third assistant engineer. He received the Maersk Lines Ltd. Award upon his graduation, awarded to the cadet “demonstrating the qualities of effort and leadership most desired in a seagoing officer.”
At Massachusetts Maritime, he served as Cadet Chief Engineer and 2006 Football Team Captain, and he was a four-year football letter winner and a three-year offensive line starter.
Funny, gentle, down-to-earth and devoted to his family, Chris was a wonderful young man. His laughter made everyone around him smile. He was kind and approached everything with good humor. Chris’ life showed great promise.
He was tragically killed on January 7, 2009, in Houston, Texas, in a work-related accident while serving on the Sea River tanker SR Wilmington.
His family would like to honor Christopher’s memory by awarding a $500 scholarship in his memory for a deserving Worcester State University student who exemplifies academic excellence and leadership in the university community.