Boys next door get free ride
Will attend college as Welch Scholars
Of all the students commuting to Salem State College, Stephen Boucher and Neil Walker easily have the shortest treks.
Boucher probably will go through his backyard. Walker will just walk from around the corner.
The two live on adjoining streets, right behind the business school, which they'll attend on a free ride paid for by Jack Welch, the retired chief executive officer of
"We live closer than the dorms," said Boucher, 18. "This is closer for me than Salem High."
Boucher and Walker, who both graduated in June from Salem High, are the third and fourth Jack Welch Scholars. It's a coincidence that they live on adjoining streets, Raymond Road and Raymond Avenue.
"We had no idea they were living right next door," said Mary Benda, director of financial aid and one of three college administrators who select the Welch scholars. "It's really kind of funny."
Each knew a bit about Welch, son of a railroad worker and homemaker who built GE into one of the world's most profitable corporations. "I knew he was the president of GE and that the company did very well under him," Walker said.
Boucher, who played golf and baseball at Salem High, remembered seeing a plaque at Bertram Field acknowledging Welch's donation of lights for the football stadium. "I saw his name there, " said Boucher, who works part time at Crosby's Marketplace in Salem. "Then I did some research about him and found out GE was really struggling when he took it over, and how successful he became. He's kind of an idol for me. He's from Salem."
The Jack Welch Scholars program is open to any Salem resident. The applicant must apply to Salem State. He or she also must write an essay, which this year asked applicants to identify the qualities of a good leader. They must apply for financial aid, but they don't have to take out student loans. Once Salem State determines the amount of grants and scholarships a student will receive, the Welch scholarship pays the rest.
Combined, Boucher and Walker are receiving almost $19,000 from the Welch fund. They'll also be assigned a faculty member who will act as their mentor. To keep the scholarship, they'll have to remain in "good academic standing," Benda said.
Business is the most popular major for incoming freshmen. A total of 1,182 applied, more than any other discipline. Of that number, 609 were accepted and 282 students have enrolled. "It's just exploding as a course of study," said Nate Bryant, the college's director of admissions.
Boucher and Walker are among 103 Salem High graduates who will start at Salem State next week. That's about 10 percent of this year's freshman class of about 1,000 students, according to admissions data. In recent years, Salem State has recruited more students from Salem High, where some students used to see the college as an extension of high school, Bryant said.
Salem State's close ties to the community actually at times didn't help. "They go to camps here in the summer. They go to the college games or theater events. That's all very good, but for some kids we just seemed too familiar."
To give higher schoolers a better glimpse of student life, Salem State invites students from Salem High and other North Shore high schools to visit the campus during the academic year. "If we get them on campus during the academic year when the college is at its most vibrant, they get a whole different picture, " Bryant said. "They don't just see us as the school next door."
But for Boucher and Walker, Salem State really is next door.
Walker hoped to get a scholarship to play football in college. He applied to three private colleges, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Welch's alma mater. "But then I didn't get enough money, so I narrowed it down. . . . I picked Salem. I had heard it had a very good business program."
Boucher also was accepted at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, but picked his hometown college. "The scholarship made it an easy choice," said Boucher, the first in his family to go to college. "It's close to home, too."
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com. 
