2009 Vol 3 No 2

         Second Quarter Newsletter to our Contributors  

Inspiring Hope and Confidence

Raising expectations: In an April 27 interview in Time about the need for reform in the American education system, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke of the need implicit in reform to raise expectations. We were glad to read this since raising expectations is what we do. This is what the words "..give hope and confidence to more students in the ConVal region to achieve their potential" in our mission statement is about. We may not have an impact on education in the rest of the nation, but we can and do here. What impresses us is that once discouraging disadvantages for some are cleared they can just take off and excel. Alycia Mudrack, a dropout in her junior year, barely graduated from ConVal High School but made the dean's list in her first term at Hesser College, earned her associate degree this May and has already started classes to earn a second degree. Diana Lavoie is another example "Diana is proving that hard work makes success." So said surprise guest and retired ConVal coach and teacher, Art Giovannangeli (Mr.Gio, pronounced "Joe") at a Peterborough Lions Club reception on June 8. Diana, the CVCSF Peterborough Lions Club Scholar (Class of 2008), a ConVal late starter, inspired by "Mr. Gio" to become a chemistry teacher like him and made the dean's list in her first semester at Plymouth State University. (See enclosed copy of June 11 Monadnock Ledger-Transcript story CVCSF winners in the Class of 2009: A top award this year of $6,000 was presented on June 25 to Samantha Mannion, our first CVCSF NHBB HiTech Scholarship Award winner (more on this below). Samantha is "passionate about learning more and doing what I can to save the life in the oceans." She will study marine biology at UNH. Another $6,000 award went to Kathleen Taber who loves working with kids, has a strong passion for teaching and will study early childhood education. With negligible financial resources she will attend a nearby community college in Florida where she can live with her grandparents. An intermediate award of $2,700 has been granted to Patrick Morn to study engineering mechanics at West Virginia University. As standard procedure, a CVCSF Director or volunteer is assigned to each of our top three winners to monitor their progress and assist where possible and appropriate. Philip Grisafi, CVCSF Director, is Patrick Morn's monitor; Mary Lou O'Neil, another CVCSF Director is assigned to Samantha and to coordinate with Donna Marcin of NHBB HiTech Division, our partner in her award; and Robin Eichert of Peterborough, well acquainted with CVCSF, has volunteered to be Kathleen Taber's monitor. These connections are maintained until our scholars complete the programs for which our awards are granted. Other 2009 awards were $600 each to Gregg Brosseau (Peterborough); Carol Busch (Bennington); and Lisa Taylor, Francestown. The CVCSF NHBB HiTech Division Scholarship Award: CVCSF is particularly glad to have provided this scholarship award in partnership with NHBB HiTech Division. Samantha Mannion, the CVCSF NHB Hi-Tech Division scholar was the top winner of this year's CVCSF awards. As a modest graduation present she will receive from CVCSF a copy of Rachel Carson's book, The Sea Around Us. With Mary Lou O'Neil of CVCSF monitoring Samantha's progress, NHBB and its employees will be kept well informed and special events may develop to strengthen this connection. NHBB HiTech Division has been a generous supporter of education and other causes in the ConVal region and a supporter of CVCSF since its inception. News about 2007 winners: Three of our 2007 winners have graduated from the programs CVCSF supported. The fourth is doing well with two years to go in her four year program at BYU. Two who have graduated from associate degree programs must be the sort of successes Jack Welch had in mind in his June 25 Business Week advice to 2009 graduates that the key to success today is to overachieve. Alycia Mudrack and Priscilla Coffill have demonstrated that once disadvantages are overcome our scholars can achieve more than they imagined and inspire others to do the same. (See enclosed Scholars Newsletter #2 about Priscilla's nurse's pinning ceremony and graduation.) News about 2008 winners: All six of our 2008 award winners are doing well. Diana Lavoie, Peterborough Lions Club Scholar, on the dean's list in her first semester studying chemistry at Plymouth State University was mentioned above and is the subject of a news story enclosed. Morgan Boutwell, Monadnock Rotary Club Scholar, is earning top grades in business education at Southern New Hampshire and Justina Lafreniere, in the nursing program at UMass, Dartmouth continues to make progress there. Ben Holt (Bennington) animation and graphic game programming, Jie Lu (Dublin) and Nick Dostaler (Bennington) have all successfully completed their work through June and should graduate from their programs next year. Note well that with a total of sixteen awards given to disadvantaged students there has not been a single failure so far. In choosing our CVCSF scholars from an at risk population we know a 100% success rate will not go on forever, but so far we are doing well and making a difference. 2009 fundraising CVCSF financial circumstances are strong in spite of the state of the economy. Thanks to you, our continuing and generous contributors, particularly for grants this year of $10,000 from the Maude Corser Family Fund, $5,000 from the Gilbert Verney Foundation and a $1,500 contribution from the Peterborough Rotary Club we are confident that we will reach our 2009 goal. Collection jars, now in twenty locations (the newest in the Peterborough Diner and the Francestown General Store) are doing better than we expected with $1,100 raised through June. No big bequests yet to enhance sustainability, but they may come if we continue doing well as we expect to do.  New director elected: Philip Grisafi was elected as a CVCSF director on May 20 and as a member of its Executive Committee on June 25. He is a senior vice president of Mosse & Mosse Associates. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, as Treasurer of the Peterborough Players and the Monadnock Rotary Club and on the finance committee of the Union Congregational Church in Peterborough.