INSPIRING EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS REWARDING WITH SCHOLARSHIPS
TESTIMONIALS
Any information shared below has the prior written consent of the individual.
Amira Massoud, recipient of the Henry S. Coleman Scholarship and New Canaan Moms Scholarship
“I am sincerely grateful for the invaluable support provided by the New Canaan Scholarship Foundation. Being a recipient of the Henry S. Coleman Scholarship and the New Canaan Moms Scholarship has made my pursuit of higher education at the University of Connecticut a reality. These scholarships not only eased the financial burdens associated with attending university but also allowed me to remain in the community I hold dear. By staying local, I've been able to continue my active involvement in community initiatives that are close to my heart. The NCSF has empowered me to diversify my studies at UCONN, enabling me to explore a range of academic disciplines from neuroscience to real estate. At UCONN, I've absorbed a diverse range of academic concepts and translated them into tangible skills, enhancing my ability to navigate and succeed in real-life situations. This support has not only funded my education but has also been a driving force behind my determination to make a positive impact in both my academic and local communities. I am truly grateful for the opportunities these scholarships have provided and am committed to maximizing their impact on my education and future endeavors.”
Brandon Barket, recipient of the Norman Ricker Scholarship
“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude for the support of my education through the Norman Ricker Scholarship. I transferred to NCHS three years ago and have truly loved this school and the friends that I have made here. I am grateful to Principal Egan and everyone at NCHS for creating this environment of learning. I hope that in my coming years at Stanford I will honor Norman Ricker's legacy through my academic career. I am grateful to the New Canaan community for making this scholarship possible. Thank you to the New Canaan community for everything from my high school experience to this scholarship."
Jasmine Mansourov, recipient of the Myledred F. Marcely Scholarship and the Hilboldt Family Scholarship
“I am very honored I was awarded the Myledred F. Marcely Scholarship and the Hilboldt Family Scholarship from NCSF. My family and I are very grateful for the scholarships as I can now continue my academics at Penn State University. The scholarships have helped me buy textbooks, pay tuition and fees. I am currently a freshman in the Division of Undergraduate Studies and am working towards a sports and business major. NCSF’s financial support has given me a great chance at succeeding. I am taking advantage of Penn State’s extracurricular activities
and participating in the Women in Business program and Atlas/THON, a philanthropic organization. My varied educational pursuits would not have been possible without this generous award. Thank you for supporting me and helping me reach my fullest potential, both my family and I greatly appreciate your support!”
Osasu Uwa-Omede, recipient of the Henry S. Coleman Endowed Scholarship, Peter Myers Endowed Scholarship, and the Paul Gallo Endowed Scholarship
“I am immensely grateful to have received Endowed Scholarships honoring Henry Coleman, Peter Meyers and Paul Gallo. Coming into New Canaan as a freshman, the end goal was to attend college and work hard enough to ensure that it was affordable. These awards not only provide me with financial support to attend Drexel University, but also acknowledgment and personal validation that hard work will always pay off in the long run. I’d like to thank all the donors and everyone working within the New Canaan Scholarship Foundation! As a black man going into the medical field, specifically as a physical therapist, I aim to diversify the space and make healthcare resources more available to all people of color. With the awarding of these scholarships, it is safe to say that NCSF has already played a big role in that. Once again, thank you to everyone that made this possible!”
Endowed Scholarship awarded to Nicolle A. Chesney
“I want to express my overwhelming gratitude for being awarded a scholarship. Words do not showcase how thankful I am for being the recipient of such a significant contribution. It truly is an honor to be selected. Running track for the past three years has made my time at New Canaan High School unforgettable, and it brings me great joy to continue my track career as a future D1 athlete at Sacred Heart University next year. The funding from these scholarships will not only permit me to continue my athletic career, but it will also allow me to pursue my double major in business-economics and marketing and minor in chemistry. In addition, it is my honor to announce my commitment to the Air Force ROTC 009 program. It has always been my dream to serve my country, and now I can make that vision a reality on behalf of NCHS’s assistance. Upon completion of my undergraduate studies, I will continue my passions of commercial real estate while deployed at the Air Force. Once again, I want to thank you all for granting me this outstanding award.” — Nicolle A. Chesney
Endowed Scholarship awarded to Natalia Llano
“I am sincerely honored to have been awarded with the Nahas Family Endowed Scholarship. My family and I are very thankful for this scholarship. Because of your scholarship, I can begin my Fairfield University journey with great financial support. I will be working very hard in college and excited with all the opportunities that are yet to come! Thank you for your thoughtful and generous award.” — Natalia Llano
Ethan Geller
The Semester is off to a great start in Ithaca. Thank you so much for your support in my education over the last four years. I’m so lucky to have grown up in such a caring and encouraging community like New Canaan. The New Canaan High School Scholarship Foundation has been such a help to me throughout my time in University. It has always been a dream of mine to attend a great school and study what I wanted. I can’t thank NCHS-SF enough for helping me make that dream possible.
Saige Goding
It was an honor to be recognized and receive the Nancy Hugo Scholarship. It’s humbling that even as a recent NCHS graduate, the community has my back, as I begin a new journey through college. I'm so proud to come from such a supportive community and the contributions I received last year were so helpful to me and my family during a very important time in my life. I'm working towards my Marketing and Communications degrees at Emmanuel College in Boston, MA. I've started volunteering at the local grammar school, helping kindergarten teachers in the classroom. I've made so many amazing new friends here and am very much enjoying the city life and what it has to offer.
Kai Takizawa Clancy
There's a lot of different things that a high school senior has to ask oneself when choosing where to live for the next four, or possibly even more, years. How's the food? Will I have icicles under my nostrils during the winter? Do they even have a cool mascot? But then there's that important question: can we actually afford this? The generous NCHS Scholarship Foundation helped me and my family make our final decision and I'll be forever grateful.
A positive difference has been created for me by this scholarship drive and I won't ever let that go to waste. I owe you my hard work and dedication in my studies and future career. I'd better get to it! Thank you all.
Josiah Jones, recipient Class of 1977 Endowed Scholarship
As one of the top public high schools in Connecticut, NCHS has challenged me to rise above expectations and maintain a high academic standing. I am looking forward to further challenging myself at NYU, where I will be starting fall of this year. Receiving the Class of 1977 Endowed Scholarship is a much appreciated reward and honor. I will be able to attend NYU with less financial stress and be completely focused on my studies and the college experience.
Julianna Leung, recipient Myledred F. Marcely Endowed Scholarship
My time at NCHS has been magical! The wonderful and dedicated teachers have not only provided a quality education to me that has prepared me for college and the workforce but have also made a meaningful impact on my life by teaching me kindness, strength and ambition. Administrators helped ensure a quality education and provided activities and resources which enrich our lives and help students’ well being. Because of NCHS, I now have the skills and confidence to pursue a career in education or a career as a diplomat. This scholarship is an amazing blessing. It is a big relief to my family and probably is the greatest gift my family has ever received. It is protection to our financial status. It is the gift which helps my mom and dad sleep a bit better at night. I am eternally grateful to you and NCSF. Thank you for everything you have done.
Peter Larson, Class of 2011
I have tremendous gratitude for the sponsors of the NCHS Scholarship Foundation for helping me achieve my dreams. I grew up in New Canaan and in high school I was a volunteer firefighter, EMT, and nerd. I spent all my free time studying science (genetics, microbiology, pathobiology) and imagining how we could use biotechnology to solve the great medical challenges of our time. Before I applied to college I knew I wanted to go to UConn because it was one of only three places in the country where I could major in pathobiology and begin the research as an undergrad. Even for a state school, however, money was an issue. My single mother had to work three jobs just to keep food on the table.
Thankfully, some charitable people recognized my passion and talent and were willing to take a chance on me. Thanks to contributions from the NCHS Scholarship Foundation, I was able to launch my career as a scientist. Now at 23, I am completing my training as an MD/PhD physician scientist, inventing treatments out of science fiction. I’ve laid the grounds for viruses that kill cancer and now am developing probiotics which hunt down and kill multi-drug resistant bacteria. I feel like everyone in the New Canaan community who donated and helped support my college education is taking part in all the good that I do seeing patients and developing cures."
Katie Oxman, Class of 2010
There are many reasons for me to be grateful for NCHS. We are so lucky to have had an institution that was so full of opportunity, help, and resources at our disposal. One of the best resources for me as a graduating senior became the New Canaan High School Scholarship Foundation. I left New Canaan High School to go on to Point Park University and was lucky to have assistance from that foundation. What made it particularly special was the feeling of support from my past, as if my school was now saying, "Hey, we’ve got your back and we’re here with this help to support the next step of your journey.
With my chosen career path, as an actress and creative, it can be particularly difficult to find support and to make your way. Thanks to New Canaan High School, which has an unbelievable performing arts program, not only did I receive excellent training and preparation for my future, I also had a gift of assistance in continuing that study into my future. Having the support of the high school when pursing something unusual and difficult to break into always felt comforting. I feel very proud to be a graduate of New Canaan High School, and very proud to be a recipient of the Scholarship Program, as its existence is wonderfully kind and supportive. I know that New Canaan High School played a large part in my pursuits at Point Park University, and the continued pursuit of my career and my goals, and for that I say Thank you!
Jes Sauerhoff, Class of 2009
The aid I received, over the course of four years, from the NCHS Scholarship Foundation was instrumental in my efforts to attend college. Upon graduation from NCHS in 2009, I had a desire to pursue my education further. But with the rising costs of attending college, my only chance of doing so depended upon my receiving additional aid from scholarships and grants through community organizations – one of them being the NCHS Scholarship Foundation. Without their support, I wouldn’t have had the experience with college that I did. College wasn’t just
a place where I learned new things in the classroom, but also where I learned new things about myself. I’m the confident person I am today because of being able to venture out on my own and discover talents that I either didn’t know I had or hadn’t felt comfortable enough to show to others before. I can say for certain that without going to college in the place and environment that I did, I wouldn't be the person I am today. And it all was made possible, in part, because of the financial support I received from the NCHS Scholarship Foundation. It’s been changing students’ lives at NCHS for 50 years now, and I’m forever grateful to be one of those students.
photo: 2015 NCFS Foundation Drive
Segolene Dewey, Class of 2010
Segolene now works in the fragrance industry in New York City for Firmenich Inc., one of the world's renowned fragrance houses. She just began her two-year intensive nose training under Firmenich's Olfactive Excellence Program to become a Fragrance Development Manager.
My college tuition came with a hefty price tag of $60,000 for a year. It became clear to me that even with a job all year round and my parent’s help, it just wouldn’t be enough to reach a total of $240,000 for four years. Thanks to the NCHS Scholarship Foundation, I had the help I needed to graduate nearly debt free.
The real impact this scholarship awarded me was during my immediate post grad years when the reality of your loans and interest really sinks in. I only have a reasonable monthly fee to pay, and through intensive saving I will be able to pay off all of my loans in just two short years. I have most of this in thanks to the NCHS Scholarship Foundation’s donations.
I realize I am much luckier than others to step out of college in the financial situation I am in, but this wouldn’t be without the generosity of this scholarship drive. Without this aid I would have been years to go until I could fully pay off my student loan debt. Instead, I am able to spend and invest my money today in ways that help me to create long-lasting memories and invest financially in my future, without the fear of—“can I afford to do this?” This scholarship genuinely helped to change the course of my life and my career trajectory."