This spring, Datasmith Network Solutions was proud to present the 2026 James C. Burgoyne Scholarship to Stuart Rent, a graduating senior from Duxbury High School. Stuart will be attending Massachusetts Maritime Academy this fall to study Marine Technology, following in the footsteps of his sister Zoe, who received the same scholarship in 2025.
Some moments surprise you. This one did.
When the Datasmith team gathered to present the 2026 James C. Burgoyne Scholarship, they did not expect to be handing the award to the younger brother of last year’s recipient. But that is exactly what happened, and it made an already meaningful ceremony feel like something more.
Who Was Jim Burgoyne?
James C. Burgoyne joined Datasmith Network Solutions in 2014 as an on-site IT Engineer. Over seven years, he became one of the most trusted members of the team, steady under pressure, generous with his time, and genuinely good at the work.
He maintained, updated, and troubleshot every aspect of his clients’ IT infrastructure with a calm professionalism that made even the most stressful situations feel manageable. He was patient, reliable, and the kind of colleague who made the job worth showing up for.
Jim passed away peacefully on April 9, 2021, after a brief illness. He left behind his wife, Deb, and their son, Ben, and a Datasmith team that still talks about him the way people talk about someone who made the work feel worth doing.
A Scholarship Built on That Example
The James C. Burgoyne Scholarship was established in Jim’s memory to support high school seniors from Walpole and Duxbury who plan to pursue a degree in information technology or engineering. It is awarded annually, and the selection process reflects the values Jim embodied: academic commitment, leadership, and a genuine interest in technology as a career.
Applicants must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, submit a 500-word essay on what leadership means to them, and meet briefly with the Datasmith team. The award is $250, a meaningful contribution, and a recognition of something much bigger than the dollar amount.
What makes the ceremony particularly special is that Deb and Ben Burgoyne attend each year to present the award in person. It is a moment that connects the scholarship to the person it honors, and it never gets routine.
The 2026 Recipient: Stuart Rent
Stuart Rent graduated from Duxbury High School this spring and will be heading to Massachusetts Maritime Academy to study Marine Technology. He is the younger brother of Zoe Rent, who received the James C. Burgoyne Scholarship in 2025 before heading to Northeastern University.
Having two siblings from the same family receive this award in consecutive years is something the Datasmith team did not see coming, and it made this year’s presentation all the more memorable.
Stuart was joined at the ceremony by Datasmith team members Paul and Terry, along with Deb and Ben Burgoyne, who presented the award as they have done every year since the scholarship launched.
Past Recipients
Since the scholarship launched, Datasmith has had the privilege of supporting students who are taking their first steps into the technology field:
- 2022: Liam McCarthy, Walpole High School — Northeastern University
- 2023: Allan Mukkuzhi, Walpole High School — Trinity College
- 2023: Joseph Wick Ross, Duxbury High School — Penn State University
- 2024: Grace Blackington, Duxbury High School — Bridgewater State University
- 2025: Zoe Rent, Duxbury High School — Northeastern University
- 2026: Stuart Rent, Duxbury High School — Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Each one of these students represents the kind of future Jim cared about, they are people who are curious, driven, and ready to do the work.
Why This Matters to Datasmith
Managed IT is a people business. The tools change, the threats evolve, and the technology never stands still, but what makes a great IT professional has not changed at all. It is the same thing that made Jim great: the willingness to show up, stay calm, and do right by the people counting on you.
The James C. Burgoyne Scholarship is Datasmith’s way of betting on the next generation of people like that. And every spring, when Deb and Ben walk in to hand over that award, the whole team feels it.
This year, watching Stuart Rent accept the same scholarship his sister received twelve months ago, the team felt something extra.
Jim would have loved every second of it.