Massport Awards Annual Richards Memorial Scholarship

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) today announced the recipient of the annual
memorial scholarship honoring the memory of longtime employee Lowell Richards, III. The 2024 Lowell L.
Richards III Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Boston resident Gia Minh Nguyen.

“Minh’s interest in architecture from a young age and his exceptional academic record made him the standout
candidate for this year’s scholarship,” said Massport interim CEO Ed Freni. “We are excited to see what the
future holds and wish him the best in all of his future endeavors.”

The Lowell Richards Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student who resides in the City of Boston, Chelsea,
Revere or Winthrop. Richards was responsible for Massport’s strategic and master planning activities, including
the airports and the seaport, as well as the agency’s private commercial and residential real estate development
in South Boston, East Boston, and Charlestown. Richards joined Massport in 1999 and was previously the
Assistant Secretary of Administration and Finance and Chief Development Officer for the Commonwealth and
Deputy Mayor for Fiscal Affairs and Collector-Treasurer in the City of Boston.

Nguyen is a graduate of Excel High School and will soon attend Wentworth Institute of Technology. He has
been involved with Artists for Humanity and Digital Ready as an apprentice for each organization and he
participated in YouthBuild Boston Designery as an architecture designer. Minh also served on student
government at Excel High School and the Mayor’s Youth Council, along with volunteering with Quincy Loves
You.

To be considered for the Lowell Richards Memorial Scholarship, students are required to have a minimum 3.0
grade point average and submit an essay of 1,000 words describing their career interests or how their
community service has affected their outlook on life. In his essay, Minh wrote, “I view architecture as more
than just buildings; it is the art of crafting spaces that inspire and shape the way we experience the whole
world.”

Applications are judged by a committee made up of Massport employees and a representative of the Richards
family. Students interested in applying for the 2025 scholarship should visit www.massport.com for eligibility
requirements.