2009 Vol 3 No 4

Fourth Quarter Newsletter to our Contributors   -   12/31/09

Facing Challenges, Aiming Higher and Achieving

Good Results in Tough Times

2009 financial statements, due shortly, will show that ConVal Community Scholarship Foundation (CVCSF) contributions were ahead of 2008 and plan, as were scholarship awards, and year-end balance. Heartening success stories, including the July Monadnock Ledger-Transcript story on the graduation and employment at Monadnock Community Hospital of our first nursing degree graduate, Priscilla Coffill, another about the early Dean’s list success of prospective chemistry teacher, Diana Lavoie,  and one described in the enclosed Alycia Mudrack Pellerin “Achiever Card,” are examples of favorable press. And six scholarship grants ranging from $600 to $6,000 were awarded to 2009 ConVal graduates.

On the importance of Mentoring and Monitoring

We have learned much in our first three years about the importance of mentoring and monitoring. Why these two terms, “mentoring” and “monitoring”? And what is the difference between the two? We think of mentoring first as counseling and guidance provided to students in the time preceding high school graduation, best provided by trained adults, qualified and authorized to serve on school grounds via such organizations as Big Brothers Big Sisters. Mentoring thus provided, in some cases, helps prepare candidates to qualify for awards and supporting assistance CVCSF provides. Monitoring is what we call guidance and counseling, including ongoing mentoring, provided by carefully selected adult volunteers (including some CVCSF directors) from the time of high school graduation through the completion of the postsecondary education programs for which our grant awards are given. And, beyond postsecondary education, we track career performance so that we may have long term awareness of the value of our work and a measure of the return on your (and our) investment.

A critical time for most of our grantees is right at the start; the transition from high school to their chosen postsecondary program. Because most were at-risk students with little expectation that they would have this opportunity they are not all well prepared to make it. Some have little or no family support or others to turn to for advice. Most have little knowledge or experience with personal finance. Some will make mistakes which, addressed promptly, need not lead to failure. Not all will complete the programs for which their grants and monitoring assistance are given. But most do succeed, with hard work and the combination of our scholarship grants and monitoring support. Their heartwarming success stories help us achieve our mission. “to give hope and confidence with community support to help more students in the ConVal region achieve their potential.”

Samantha Mannion, ConVal Class of 2009

Samantha is the winner of our 2009 CVCSF NHBB Hi-Tech Division Scholarship Award and one of our top two Class of 2009 grants. Seen here with Donna Marcin, Human Resources Director of NHBB High-Tech Division in Peterborough, Samantha plans to earn a bachelor of science degree in marine biology at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. She tells us that Microbiology is not easy, but she loves being there and, though final first semester grades are not yet available, we are told that she is doing well. We can count on Samantha to make the most of this opportunity. The NHBB Hi-Tech Division has been a strong supporter of CVCSF from it’s founding in 2006 and actively supports numerous regional education programs.

Organization Development

CVCSSF officers; Philip Grisafi (VP), James Callahan (Secretary), Timothy Kolk (Treasurer), Carl Amos Johnson, (Director) and Rob Rubendall, are increasingly active in managing our organization, working with John Vance (President and Founder). It was announced at the annual meeting that Vance will step down by mid-2010 and that his successor will be Philip Grisafi. Vance will continue serving indefinitely as founding director, focusing his efforts on mentoring, public information and development. Also, Greg Scerbinski, recently retired ConVal teacher, has joined CVCSF as Website Administrator where he has already made an important contribution. (See CVCSF Website paragraph below.) Rachel Bowman, of the law firm of Bowditch and Dewey, has recently joined us to help assure that we don’t miss a beat in monitoring our grant winners and in tracking their careers beyond postsecondary graduation.

CVCSF Website up and Running: With the help of a Goyette Memorial grant provided via the New Hampshire Charitable Trust, we are glad to have announced in November that our website is up and running To view go to www.cvcsf.org.  We are glad to have this in place, serving both to provide public access to information about us and as a valuable tool for the storage and retrieval of information essential for effective management of our organization. On it you will find information about our awards and award winners, announcements, history, press releases, photographs and plans for ongoing development. Web page design was done for us by Megan Strickland with graphic design participation by Margaret Baker–Salmon Design. Greg Scerbinski, retired last year from ConVal High School faculty, is our web page administrator who makes all this possible.

2009 Annual Meeting

Contributors, guidance personnel (who nominate candidates for our financial and mentoring support), ConVal School District Superintendent, Richard Bergeron, directors, volunteers, mentors, and one our first award winners, Priscilla Coffill, twenty-eight in all, met on November 18 at Reynolds Hall (at All Saints Church) for our annual meeting and report on progress and plans. This good mix gave all participants an opportunity to communicate with each other to acquire a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by CVCSF and its award winners and of how our program works. This open discussion approach was helpful for all. We hope to do it this way again next year, perhaps on a larger scale.

Top Jar Award

One success beyond our expectations was the result of our stepped-up campaign to raise funds through collection jars placed in stores, restaurants and other locations throughout the ConVal region. Started on a very small scale at Roy’s Market in 2008 it grew in 2009 from seven locations in January to twenty-four in December. Hoping we might raise $1,000 in the year, at year-end we had received $2,571. Our first ever CVCSF Top Jar Award (chocolates from Ava Marie Chocolates) was presented in December to Michelle and Andy Freeman, co-proprietors of the Dublin General Store. This was announced in the Ledger-Transcript on December 11 and will be again in the Dublin Advocate in January. This campaign was so successful that we were able to announce that a new, CVCSF ConVal Merchants scholarship will be awarded in June, 2010.

How are our CVCSF Scholars doing?

Fall semester grades are just coming in so it is early for a thorough report. What we can report now is that from the classes of 2007 through 2009, five have graduated or are expected to graduate this spring; four are in their second years in four-year programs and six are still in programs in which they have our ongoing financial support and monitoring assistance. We will report more fully in our March newsletter. A few are challenged, others will succeed and a few will excel. All will have had an enhanced opportunity because of your generosity and others will be motivated by their success stories to set higher achievement goals.

As always, we thank you for your ongoing support.