Throughout my life, my Catholic faith and its emphasis on service to others has influenced what I have brought to my community. Putting others before oneself is a value that has been stressed to me by Catholic school teachers, my family, and community members for years, leading me to want to live this value in action. Starting in elementary school, I became involved in multiple service efforts and in my later high school years have had the privilege of leading several charitable projects. Focusing on those less fortunate, I began raising money for the Jimmy Fund early on through lemonade stands, popcorn sales at town movie nights, and then a wiffle ball tournament. I also sang in a choir and participated in cleanup projects in my town. In middle school, I began volunteering for Best Buddies, worked at several food pantries, and helped with projects at the Boys and Girls Club such as wrapping holiday presents. in high school, I continued to work for food pantries and also built bed for the homeless, wrapped holiday presents for veterans, and spent time with the elderly. For the last two years, I have had a number of leadership projects in which I feel that my faith and commitment to putting others before myself has allowed me work well with volunteers and guide them in a kind yet effective manner. For the Scholarship Foundation of Wakefield, I have attended networking and fundraising events, I helped with every aspect of Trivia Night which is their primary fundraiser, I spoke at a Town Council meeting about the Foundation’s fundraising drive, and I assisted with assembling mailing packages for the Foundation’s Annual Appeal. For the UNITE Project (Upstanders Networking to Intervene, Transform and Empower), I presented to a number of underclassmen's health classes regarding teen relationship violence. Then I was asked to be a Captain and put together and schedule six additional presentations, train leaders to give the presentations, and I presented again myself as well. Recently, I was picked to speak at Parent University in my town, where I provided information to parents with younger children about the process of applying for college, thereby providing more service to my community. As President of my high school's National Honor Society, I have also coordinated and participated in our service project of tutoring several underclassmen weekly after school. Through my primary volunteer effort, a monthly Community Dinner Project at a Catholic Church in my town, I have learned in particular how helping others reaps societal benefits. As the student leader of this project, I help to organize and oversee the distribution of approximately 75 dinners for those in need. Many take their food to go, but we also set tables to provide those who choose to stay with a place to have meaningful conversations, allowing for some special, communal moments. I am glad that I can use my time to put a smile on someone’s face. I have also had the chance to use my leadership skills and guide a number of confirmation candidates required to pitch in each month. I am asked to explain the project to them and organize their duties to bring the dinner together. Lastly, I've recently been attempting to take the project a step further by encouraging expansion. Last month, we had visitors from another parish who came to see our community dinner due to their interest in forming one themselves. I was tasked with explaining the logistics of our operation, along with emphasizing to them the importance of what we do. I look forward to continuing such charitable works throughout life.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head from scratching and rubbing. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I often became drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. My condition made me anxious, and I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me around, and teammates have welcomed me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example, and they might good-naturedly call me “Tourettes” on my high school soccer team. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (“TOPS”) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. We have had lots of fun together pairing up to work on drills and then conducting full-squad games. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night so that they could walk alongside varsity high school soccer players being announced for senior night. Finally, I wrote an article for the town paper about the TOPS program, resulting in additional players joining. How lucky I am that my tic disorder did not isolate me and instead inspired me to get involved with multiple charitable projects. Others with disabilities are not as fortunate. I have found purpose in life working hard to ensure that everyone is accepted for who they are and given the support and compassion that they deserve, just like I was. I vow to continue this work in college and beyond. In the fall, I will be attending Boston College, and with the enormous price tag of private colleges, any money I can earn through scholarships will help me and my parents immensely. Thank you very much for the opportunity to apply for this generous scholarship.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. My mom assured me that everything was alright, but I felt scared and betrayed by my body. I came to understand that my brain simply forces my body to make uncontrollable motions, and sometimes I’m not even aware. Still, the news made me anxious, and I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? I feared the latter would be my reality when an older athlete pointed at my twitching in the hallway once and encouraged his friends to laugh and when a third grade teacher told me to stop moving or she would send me to the principal’s office. Overall, though, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. How lucky I am that my tic disorder did not isolate me. I have found purpose in life working hard to ensure that everyone is accepted for who they are and is given the support and compassion that they deserve, just like I was. I vow to continue this work.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. My mom assured me that everything was alright, but I felt scared and betrayed by my body. I came to understand that my brain simply forces my body to make uncontrollable motions, and sometimes I’m not even aware. Still, the news made me anxious, and I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? I feared the latter would be my reality when an older athlete pointed at my twitching in the hallway once and encouraged his friends to laugh and when a third grade teacher told me to stop moving or she would send me to the principal’s office. Overall, though, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. How lucky I am that my tic disorder did not isolate me. Others are not as fortunate. I have found purpose in life working hard to ensure that everyone is accepted for who they are and is given the support and compassion that they deserve, just like I was.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. Overall, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition, and I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I have worked with the TOPS athletes as a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. Continuing to remember the inclusion I’ve experienced, socially and sports wise, despite my disorder, I thought to extend the program and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for senior night. Lastly, I brought attention to the program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. How lucky I am that my tic disorder did not isolate me. Others are not as fortunate. I have found purpose in life working hard to ensure that everyone is accepted for who they are and is given the support and compassion that they deserve, just like I was. I plan to continue my volunteer work throughout college and as a professional someday in the business world, and I will encourage my classmates and colleagues to do so alongside me as I have throughout my middle and high school years. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this helpful scholarship.

During the fall of 2023, when I was a junior on the varsity soccer team, our squad unexpectedly went to the state championship and lost 1-0 in overtime. The team had not come close to that goal in 25 years, so it was an exciting time, but we also lost seven outstanding players to graduation, so we did not think there would be a repeat performance of any kind. When I was picked as captain to lead a depleted squad for 2024, younger than probably any other team the school has seen, I knew it would be an enormous challenge. This new position of mine I feel highlighted many of the challenges faced when playing sports in high school and taught me some important lessons about being a student-athlete. Fortunately I had my Coach to learn from in terms of motivating and encouraging my young teammates. Immediately upon starting out last fall, Coach filled us with optimism and repeated numerous times that we had the chance to succeed again. We could create our own identity that would be different from the year before, but we would build on last year’s lessons learned, he told us. Coach’s team speeches and private player talks were extremely inspiring, utilizing compliments to highlight successes and also constructive criticism when he knew we could do better.  He held us to high standards and stressed that we all needed to be accountable to ourselves and each other so that we were pushed to be the best players we could be. We learned, as a result, when we could joke around and when it was time to be serious, and we were encouraged to play hard with the history of the program in mind. Through the uplifting words of our Coach, we knew that no matter who we played, we could strive to outwork them, beat them to every contested ball, and play harder than them even if they possessed more technical skill. Lastly, Coach stressed schoolwork first and did not stand for misbehavior in school, in public, or amongst teammates. He reiterated that he wanted good people in addition to good players. As the captain of this team, I took my Coach’s lead and, in the same way, tried to be motivating and encouraging to the group as a whole and to particular players when necessary. I gave talks before and after games and pulled individual players aside to provide constructive criticism when needed. I also spent much of my time lifting the the young players’ spirits with many encouraging words, while also instilling them with confidence, and telling them they could achieve anything, just like last year’s team. I arranged for us to spend time outside of practices and games to build team chemistry so that we could learn from each other how to do our Coach and town proud, presenting as quality people and players. We were not expected to win many games last fall, yet somehow ended up being the top-ranked team in Division 2 in our state and made it to the semi finals in the state tournament. I know that strong leadership with lots of encouragement doesn’t always lead to this kind of success, and we likely had a dash of luck to help along the way. Learning so much from my soccer coach about leadership was a gift, though, and inspired me to guide young players and teach them to believe in themselves. Thank you so much for the opportunity to apply for this helpful scholarship.

Throughout my school years, I’ve worked on countless service projects, organizing numerous fundraisers such as a wiffleball tournament for the Jimmy Fund, volunteering at food pantries, building beds and wrapping presents for the underprivileged, spending time with the elderly, playing ping pong and basketball with youth from Boys and Girls Clubs, participating in cleanup projects, shoveling snow for seniors, giving presentations to younger classmates about teen violence, assisting with fundraisers for the town's Scholarship Foundation, and more. The best examples I can provide of my service work with those I considered to be in my position, someone with a disability, are my Best Buddies involvement during my middle school years and especially The Outreach Program for Soccer (“TOPS”) during my high school years. When I was six, I was diagnosed with a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette's Syndrome. I was fortunate enough to not be ostracized or bullied due to my disability, and I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who may have not been as fortunate. My most meaningful service activity has been working with teens through the TOPS program in my town. For several years, I have been matched with various boys with special needs and have worked with them in a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. Continuing to remember the inclusion I’ve experienced despite my disorder, I thought to extend the program and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for senior night. Lastly, I brought attention to the program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. A picture of me with the TOPS participants is attached. I am on the far left. Another volunteer position I've had which has been extremely enjoyable and showcases my leadership is my work as a captain for the high school varsity soccer program this past fall. When I was a junior on my high school varsity soccer team the year before, our squad played in the Division 2 Massachusetts State Championship and lost 1-0 in overtime. The team had not come close to that goal in 25 years, so it was an exciting time, but we lost seven outstanding players to graduation. When I was picked as the next captain to lead a young, depleted squad, I knew it would be an enormous challenge, and nervous players would be looking to me for inspiration. I believe last fall that I was successful in motivating the group as a whole and working individually with particular players when necessary. I gave energizing talks before and after games and pulled players aside to provide constructive criticism when needed. I lifted the young players’ spirits with many encouraging words, while also instilling them with confidence, and telling them they could achieve anything, just like last year’s team. I arranged for us to spend lots of time outside of practices and games to build team chemistry. We fortunately had success and ended up as the highest-ranked team in Division 2 and made it to the semi-finals in our state tournament. More than our success, though, I feel it was important to demonstrate leadership that helped the players develop character and strength. Thank you so much for the opportunity to apply for this helpful scholarship.

From approximately age six, I realized I was a bit different. Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster. Before long, however, it became noticeable that my herky-jerky movements were more than just expending energy. My pediatrician soon confirmed that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette’s syndrome. My tics could make me very uncomfortable and even pained me at times. They also became increasingly visible to others. Hearing stories about isolation for those with differences, I came to fear for my life with this disorder. The lessons I learned over the years, however, regarding my condition and the way it impacted my socializing and sports were eye opening, and a resulting blessing is the life of service to which I’ve been led. Throughout my school years, I’ve worked on countless service projects, organizing numerous fundraisers such as a wiffleball tournament for the Jimmy Fund, volunteering at food pantries, building beds and wrapping presents for the underprivileged, and spending time with the elderly. The best examples I can provide of my service work with those I considered to be in my position, however, are my Best Buddies involvement during my middle school years and especially The Outreach Program for Soccer (“TOPS”) during my high school years. Through the TOPS program in my town, I have been matched with several boys with special needs and have worked with them in a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. Continuing to remember the inclusion I’ve experienced, socially and sports wise, despite my disorder, I thought to extend the program and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for senior night. Lastly, I recently brought attention to the program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. Though I am planning for a career in business when I start Boston College in the fall, I will continue my volunteer work and will always be on the lookout for opportunities during my college and working years. I plan to encourage others to participate with me, as I have during high school, and that always makes everything more fun. I hope to do my part for whichever company I join to help make for a better corporate citizen by seeking out and encouraging company-wide charitable projects. I have seen my father work in this way for his software company and for the small family business he runs as well. I am grateful for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship and feel it would be so helpful for my parents who are expected to pay $90,000 for me to attend Boston College and probably the same amount for my twin brother who has not committed to a school. Certain colleges do not give out much money these days, making me fear for the financial stability of my parents having to pay so much. So, again, thank you for the opportunity to apply for this helpful scholarship.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. Overall, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition, and I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. How lucky I am that my tic disorder did not isolate me. Others are not as fortunate. I have found purpose in life working hard to ensure that everyone is accepted for who they are and is given the support and compassion that they deserve, just like I was. I plan to study business this fall at Boston College and will do my best in my personal and professional life to encourage friends and co-workers to join me in all of the volunteer opportunities I plan to continue. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this important scholarship honoring the memory of Ms. Champagne, an extraordinary volunteer.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? Overall, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to be the best version of myself and to also serve others who have not been as fortunate. I have studied hard over the years and am currently ranked second in my class of 207 students. I've won a number of academic awards, including the Yale Book Award given out by my school. I've become a sports writer and won a writing award given out by The Boston Globe. I feel that, more importantly, however, I have fought throughout my life to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. Hopefully I have made enough of a difference in my family and community to leave a legacy. Thank you very much for the opportunity to apply for this important scholarship.

Several years ago, my father made an important decision that has served to significantly impact my life and inspire my interest in the field of business. Always invested in our family history, my father even tracked down our ancestral home in Normandy, France. So when he was asked by my great-uncle to take over our family vanilla business, started in 1906 by my great-great-grandfather, he enthusiastically said yes. Decades ago, when my great-great-grandfather was in charge, his Dolan Flavoring Company had a strong New England presence and spots in multiple large grocery stores, including Shaws and Hannaford Supermarkets. When the company was passed down to my great-uncle, however, it was pushed off the grocery store shelves due to a number of factors. There was no website and no social media presence while my great-uncle was in charge either, so my father had his work cut out for him and became an incredible example to me of how to carry forward the entrepreneurial spirit of his great grandfather. I decided to help my father and have learned so much about business in the process. At first I was doing miscellaneous busy work like labeling and delivering vanilla bottles. Soon I found additional ways to make a difference, though, such as helping from start to finish with our social media posts, trying my hand at sales at the farmers’ markets, and practicing some simple accounting when my father showed me the company books. Eventually, however, I landed on a very exciting way to really grow the business. After taking over, my father quickly secured spots for the vanilla bottles on the shelves of many stores, including Hannaford Supermarkets once again. He was having trouble convincing a different big supermarket chain, though: Market Basket. I decided to research Market Basket and found that it was another century-old family business, and the president, Arthur Demoulas, was the same age as me when he started working for the company. I thought I’d try to capitalize on these similarities and draft my own letter to the company, saying I had started working for our family business at the age of 15 just like Mr. Demoulas. I figured it couldn’t hurt and might be the one fact that could spark some interest and make someone take notice. I found a picture of my uncle, father, brother and myself at a farmer’s market selling the vanilla to show Mr. Demoulas the generational aspect of the business, and I traveled to Market Basket headquarters to hand-deliver the package. Weeks and then months went by after my delivery with no word from Market Basket, and I was disappointed but knew the whole process was a good experience at the very least. Then, amazingly, about four months later we received a call that Market Basket wanted to test our products out in three stores, and we were thrilled. My experience with the Dolan Flavoring Company has inspired my desire to continue studying business in college and start my own business one day. I’ve also begun to think about what kind of business person I want to be. My father has contributed our vanilla to local causes, such as school and community raffles, and he sponsored a large sign on the outfield fence for my high school baseball team. He has taught me ways that a small business can make a difference, and I can see how that could be applied on a grander scale. Overall, I am extremely thankful for my father’s decision to provide me with a real-world example of how a company runs.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? Overall, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate, and this is something I plan to continue. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. The kind of personal development I've been able to achieve through my volunteering has been invaluable and so important in increasing my strength of character so that I feel better prepared to meet the challenges coming my way as I leave home for college. I plan on pursuing a career in business at Boston College this September and will work as a businessman on ensuring that my company is a good corporate citizen by always suggesting volunteer opportunities for staff members. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this important scholarship.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. Overall,  I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. (In addition to participating in many service projects, I am also a three-sport varsity athlete, a sports reporter for the town papers and the Treasurer of my school's National Honor Society chapter.) The kind of personal development I've been able to achieve through my volunteering, sports involvement and other activities has been invaluable and so important in increasing my strength of character so that I feel better prepared to meet the challenges coming my way as I leave home for college. Attending Boston College this fall, I am planning on a career in business and will always do my part to ensure that my company is a good corporate citizen by recommending various volunteering opportunities. Thank you very much for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

Last year, when I was a junior on my high school varsity soccer team, our squad played in the state championship and lost 1-0 in overtime. The team had not come close to that goal in 25 years, so it was an exciting time, but we also lost seven outstanding players to graduation. When I was picked as the next captain to lead a young, depleted squad, I knew it would be an enormous challenge, and nervous players would be looking to me for strength. I would need to dig deep and become the best version of myself. These are the kinds of lessons sports teach us, I feel. In addition to soccer, I play varsity basketball and baseball. As a leader on both of those teams as well, I have I have tried to be motivating to the groups as a whole and to particular players when necessary. I’ve given energizing talks before and after games, whether they be thrilling wins or devastating losses, and have pulled players aside to provide constructive criticism when needed. I’ve lifted the young players’ spirits with many encouraging words, while also instilling them with confidence, and telling them they can achieve anything, just like last year’s soccer team. I’ve arranged for us to spend lots of time outside of practices and games to build team chemistry so that we can learn from each other how to do our Coach and town proud, presenting as quality people and players. In addition to sports I have fought throughout my life to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my personal disability of a tic disorder. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My favorite volunteer activity, inspired in particular by my soccer team, has been working for The Outreach Program for Soccer ("TOPS"). I have been matched through the TOPS program over the last few years with several boys with disabilities and have worked with them in a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. I thought to extend the program this year and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for Senior Night. Lastly, I recently brought attention to the TOPS program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. The kind of personal development I've been able to achieve through my favorite sport of soccer has been invaluable and so important in increasing my strength of character so that I feel better prepared to meet the challenges coming my way as I leave home for college. I am planning on a career in business and will always do my part to ensure my company is a good corporate citizen by recommending certain activities in which the employees can become involved. Sports will always remain my passion as well, so I will continue to find opportunities through club and intramural sports in college and mens' leagues as I get older, and hopefully I can be the organizer of the company softball team! Thank you very much for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? Overall, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate and ensure to the best of my ability that those individuals are not bullied. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. Instead of being bullied, these special athletes are celebrated. I will be attending Boston College in the fall, and my family has been asked to pay $90,000. My twin brother will also be attending college and likely my parents will be asked to pay just as much for him, as certain colleges do not seem to give out as much money these days. I am therefore worried for my parents' financial stability and trying to help out by applying for scholarships. I am very grateful for the chance to apply for the Matthew E. Minor Memorial Scholarship which keeps front and center the importance of combating bullying of all kinds.

As a young boy, I remember my father taking my twin brother and me for walks in the woods, and naming one of us "Trail Leader" and the other "Discovery Leader." I recall fondly how these walks developed my love of nature. Being a typical boy, I picked up and savored every intriguing rock and stick I found along the way. Seeing the interest in nature I showed, my mother wished to foster this and thought Cub Scouts would be a great activity to help in that regard. She became a den leader and took us on incredible hikes and camping trips where we learned to cook outside, fish, and further appreciate the wonders that were all around us. It can become particularly discouraging that some people don't see the need to protect the environment, but I am committed to carrying the work forward. When someone asked me recently, "Why do you bother," when I was picking up recycling at my school during my club's meeting, I said without any judgment, "Every little bit helps." I hope in that way to plant a seed rather than alienating anyone with a harsh comment. Though we don't get too many volunteers, I continue to sign up whenever there is a clean up day in my community, and I feel we really do make a difference. Deciding to follow in my father's footsteps and study finance in college, I have thought more recently about the enormous impact business has on the environment and have thus been even more inspired to get involved in learning and helping with solutions to tackle this all-important issue. My father's job at a company that conducted energy audits and sustainability assessments has me thinking as well about ways I can pair all I learn about finance with my goal to lobby as strongly as I can for protecting our environment. At Boston College in September 2025, I will be able right away to take a course for social science credit called "The Just City: Understanding Environmental Problems and Solutions." I can go on to take other classes such as "Sustainable Cities," "To Recycle is Not Enough: Political Economies of Waste." "Environmental Justice," and many more. To augment what I learn in the classroom, I can participate in a club called "Climate Justice @ Boston College" which is a collection of student, faculty, staff and alumni "fighting to mitigate climate change to prevent further environmental disaster that threatens the well-being of communities around the world." Through the above-mentioned classes and clubs, I am excited to see how I can pair my knowledge with my finance goals and lead the way in advocating for sound environmental business practices that serve to protect our beautiful planet.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? I feared the latter would be my reality when an older athlete pointed at my twitching in the hallway once and encouraged his friends to laugh and when a third grade teacher told me to stop moving or she would send me to the principal’s office. Overall, though, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. How lucky I am that my tic disorder did not isolate me. Others are not as fortunate. I have found purpose in life working hard to ensure that everyone is accepted for who they are and is given the support and compassion that they deserve, just like I was.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette Syndrome.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. My mom assured me that everything was alright, but I felt scared and betrayed by my body. I came to understand that my brain simply forces my body to make uncontrollable motions, and sometimes I’m not even aware. Still, the news made me anxious, and I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? I feared the latter would be my reality when an older athlete pointed at my twitching in the hallway once and encouraged his friends to laugh and when a third grade teacher told me to stop moving or she would send me to the principal’s office. Overall, though, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I have always taken pride in being a kind and loyal friend, and a hardworking, supportive teammate, and perhaps this has caused me to be surrounded by respectful, sympathetic people who care. I’ve also felt that the strong messages of inclusion our society promotes, especially in schools, have likely reminded youth to always remember compassion and kindness. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. How lucky I am that my tic disorder did not isolate me. Others are not as fortunate. I have found purpose in life working hard to ensure that everyone is accepted for who they are and is given the support and compassion that they deserve, just like I was.

From approximately age six, I realized I was a bit different and that my herky-jerky movements were more than just expending energy. My pediatrician confirmed that I had a tic disorder, something that pained me and made me uncomfortable. I had to work hard from there to understand what this diagnosis would mean for my life. As time wore on, I became drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. My mom assured me that everything was alright, but I felt scared and betrayed by my body. I came to understand that my brain simply forces my body to make uncontrollable motions, and sometimes I’m not even aware. Still, the news made me anxious, and I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. Over the years, I was beyond fortunate to find that people were kind to me despite my visible disorder, and I was not ostracized but rather included. A resulting blessing is the life of service to which I’ve been led, something I've worked extremely hard at to help others with differences feel that same kind of inclusion. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Through the TOPS program, I’m matched with several boys with special needs, teaching them soccer drills and also playing games with the larger group, helping to direct their passing and shooting. Remembering the inclusion I experienced, I worked to extend the program and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our annual town soccer night. The TOPS players now accompany varsity players out onto the field when they are announced for senior night. I also recently brought attention to the program through an article for the town’s newspaper, resulting in additional program participants. I’m thrilled that my efforts have ended up making a difference for this community.

From approximately age six, I realized I was a bit different. Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster. Before long, however, it became noticeable that my herky-jerky movements were more than just expending energy. My pediatrician soon confirmed that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette’s syndrome. My tics could make me very uncomfortable and even pained me at times. Hearing stories about isolation for those with differences, I came to fear for my life with this disorder. Probably my two favorite things in the world, socializing and sports, could be greatly impacted by my challenge, I remember thinking. The lessons I learned over the years, however, regarding my condition and the way it impacted my socializing and sports were eye opening, and a resulting blessing is the life of service to which I’ve been led. Being an extreme extrovert, I enjoy and appreciate my friendships immensely and do more than my part to bring people together for a game of cards, a pickup basketball contest, or a backyard spike ball game. A lesson I was so happy to learn regarding socialization was that kids are largely kind and accepting even of those with differences. There are exceptions of course who will laugh, sneer and point, but those have been a rarity in my life, I’ve been so fortunate to say. Another lesson not lost on me is that boys especially benefit from sports achievements, and they are thus usually shielded from teasing and isolation. Whether this is good, bad or indifferent, I can’t really say, but I was lucky enough again to benefit, being one of the better athletes in my town. Though my tics could even be visible from the pitcher’s mound, and I’ve been known as “Tourettes” on my varsity soccer team, my teammates and friends still love having me play. My good fortune in being able to continue playing sports is I believe is what led me to a call to service. Throughout my school years, I’ve worked on countless service projects, organizing fundraisers such as a wiffleball tournament for the Jimmy Fund, volunteering at food pantries, building beds and wrapping presents for the underprivileged, and spending time with the elderly. The best examples I can provide of my service work with those I considered to be in my position, however, are my Best Buddies involvement during my middle school years and especially The Outreach Program for Soccer (“TOPS”) during my high school years. Through the TOPS program in my town, I've been matched with several boys with special needs and have worked with them on soccer drills and scrimmages, helping to direct their passing and shooting. Continuing to remember the inclusion I’ve experienced, socially and sports wise, despite my disorder, I thought to extend the program and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for senior night. Lastly, I recently brought attention to the program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. Socializing, sports, and service will continue to be three of the driving forces in my life, and I will continue to give thanks that my particular disorder has not stopped me from accessing all three. I vow to continue to help others achieve in these areas also to the best of my ability.

Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster and loved playing pickup sports, going on playdates, and running around at recess. When first grade rolled around, however, I noticed something a little off. While other children were able to confidently control how they expended their energy, I struggled to refrain from performing rather spastic motions. I was confused and didn’t understand why my classmates could sit still during a lesson, while I needed to scratch my face, twitch my nose, or pull my ears. My mom also began to wonder when the skin in between my eyes became raw, requiring bandaids, and when I started to develop bald spots around my head. We soon met with a neurologist and received the news that I had a tic disorder.  As time wore on, I could become drained mentally and physically when I had the compulsion to scratch a certain body part until it bled or flex a muscle hundreds of times until it hurt, wanting to stop but being unable to. My mom assured me that everything was alright, but I felt scared and betrayed by my body. I came to understand that my brain simply forces my body to make uncontrollable motions, and sometimes I’m not even aware. Still, the news made me anxious, and I frequently worried about being bullied in school or treated differently because of my condition. In particular, I dreaded how my disorder would affect two very important aspects of my life: friends and sports. I knew my family would always support me, but how would friends and teammates who didn’t understand what I was going through react? Would they show compassion or exploit the increasingly obvious “flaw” that I possessed? I feared the latter would be my reality when an older athlete pointed at my twitching in the hallway once and encouraged his friends to laugh and when a third grade teacher told me to stop moving or she would send me to the principal’s office. Overall, though, I am so grateful to say that I have faced minimal discrimination over the years due to my condition. Instead, friends have wanted me at their birthday parties, and teammates have wanted me on their sports teams even though my tics were more than evident from the pitching mound, for example. I firmly believe that my condition has inspired me to serve others who have not been as fortunate. Throughout my life, I have fought to ensure the underprivileged receive the kind of support and community that has assisted me in the battle against my disability. I have organized fundraisers for the Jimmy Fund, worked with Best Buddies, helped at various food pantries, built beds for the homeless, spent time with the elderly, and much more. My most meaningful service activity, however, has been volunteering for The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) in my town. Over the past few years, I have made so many memories while coaching, socializing, and laughing with the TOPS players who face physical and mental disabilities much more severe than mine. I also successfully advocated to include the TOPS players in our annual town soccer night, and I wrote an article for the town paper about the program, resulting in additional players joining. How lucky I am that my tic disorder did not isolate me. Others are not as fortunate. I have found purpose in life working hard to ensure that everyone is accepted for who they are and is given the support and compassion that they deserve, just like I was.

Kalia Davis' life was incredibly inspirational, and I would be honored to receive a scholarship in her name, as it would show I might have even come close to making her same kind of impact. Like Kalia, my life has been filled with sports (soccer in particular) and community service experiences from which I have learned a great deal. Last year, when I was a junior on my high school varsity soccer team, our squad played in the state championship and lost 1-0 in overtime. The team had not come close to that goal in 25 years, so it was an exciting time, but we also lost seven outstanding players to graduation. When I was picked as the next captain to lead a young, depleted squad, I knew it would be an enormous challenge, and nervous players would be looking to me for strength. Fortunately I had my Coach to learn from in terms of motivating and inspiring my inexperienced teammates. Immediately upon starting out this year, Coach filled us with optimism and repeated numerous times that we could succeed again. Following Coach’s lead, I tried to be motivating to the group as a whole throughout the season and to particular players when necessary. I gave energizing talks before and after games and pulled players aside to provide constructive criticism when needed. I lifted the young players’ spirits with many encouraging words, while also instilling them with confidence, and telling them they can achieve anything, just like last year’s team. I arranged for us to spend lots of time outside of practices and games to build team chemistry so that we could learn from each other how to do our Coach and town proud, presenting as quality people and players. Though I know these kinds of tactics don't always lead to athletic success, somehow everything came together for our team this past fall, and we closed out the season as the highest-ranking team in Division 2 in our state of Massachusetts with a record of 18-3-1. Inspired by this team and this experience over the course of the season, I decided to also augment the soccer volunteer work I perform for a special needs program in my town. Through the The Outreach Program for Soccer ("TOPS"), I have been matched over the last few years with several boys with disabilities and have worked with them in a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. I thought to extend the program this year and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for Senior Night. Lastly, I recently brought attention to the TOPS program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. The kind of personal development I've been able to achieve through my favorite sport of soccer has been invaluable and so important in increasing my strength of character so that I feel better prepared to meet the challenges coming my way as I leave home for college. Earning a scholarship to pay for college expenses would help me continue especially my charitable works which I plan to keep up over the course of my life. Thank you very much for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

Last year, when I was a junior on my high school varsity soccer team, our squad played in the state championship and lost 1-0 in overtime. The team had not come close to that goal in 25 years, so it was an exciting time, but we also lost seven outstanding players to graduation. When I was picked as the next captain to lead a young, depleted squad, I knew it would be an enormous challenge, and nervous players would be looking to me for strength. I would need to dig deep and become the best version of myself, as this essay prompt suggests. Fortunately I had my Coach to learn from in terms of motivating and inspiring my inexperienced teammates. Immediately upon starting out this year, Coach filled us with optimism and repeated numerous times that we could succeed again. Following Coach’s lead, I have tried to be motivating to the group as a whole and to particular players when necessary. I’ve given energizing talks before and after games and have pulled players aside to provide constructive criticism when needed. I’ve lifted the young players’ spirits with many encouraging words, while also instilling them with confidence, and telling them they can achieve anything, just like last year’s team. I’ve arranged for us to spend lots of time outside of practices and games to build team chemistry so that we can learn from each other how to do our Coach and town proud, presenting as quality people and players. Though I know these kinds of tactics don't always lead to athletic success, somehow everything has come together for our team this year, and just today we closed out the season as the highest-ranking team in Division 2 in our state of Massachusetts with a record of 15-2-1. Inspired by this team and this experience over the course of the season, I decided to also augment the soccer volunteer work I perform for a special needs program in my town. Through the The Outreach Program for Soccer ("TOPS"), I have been matched over the last few years with several boys with disabilities and have worked with them in a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. I thought to extend the program this year and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for Senior Night. Lastly, I recently brought attention to the TOPS program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. The kind of personal development I've been able to achieve through my favorite sport of soccer has been invaluable and so important in increasing my strength of character so that I feel better prepared to meet the challenges coming my way as I leave home for college. Thank you very much for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

From approximately age six, I realized I was a bit different. Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster. Before long, however, it became noticeable that my herky-jerky movements were more than just expending energy. My pediatrician soon confirmed that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette’s syndrome. My tics could make me very uncomfortable and even pained me at times. They also became increasingly visible to others. Hearing stories about isolation for those with differences, I came to fear for my life with this disorder. The lessons I learned over the years, however, regarding my condition were eye opening, and a resulting blessing is the life of community service to which I’ve been led, and which I want to continue into my adult, working life. Being an extreme extrovert, I enjoy and appreciate my friendships immensely and do more than my part to bring people together for a game of cards, a pickup basketball contest, or a backyard spike ball game. A lesson I was so happy to learn regarding socialization even with a disability was that kids are largely kind and accepting even of those with differences. There are exceptions of course who will laugh, sneer and point, but those have been a rarity in my life, I’ve been so fortunate to say. Perhaps it has been the messages of inclusion emphasized lately in schools, the posters and stories about everyone being different in a way, driving home the directive that kindness is best. I decided before long that I wanted to help others like me experience that inclusion, and I threw myself into a number of charitable projects. Throughout my school years, I’ve worked on countless service projects including the following: organizing numerous fundraisers such as a wiffleball tournament for the Jimmy Fund, volunteering at food pantries, building beds and wrapping presents for the underprivileged, spending time with and shoveling snow for the elderly, helping students with homework at a local Boys and Girls Club, giving presentations on teen dating violence, and participating in a recycling club. The best examples I can provide of my service work with those I considered to be in my position, however, are my Best Buddies involvement during my middle school years and especially The Outreach Program for Soccer (“TOPS”) during my high school years. During my Best Buddies years, I befriended several same-age peers with special needs, had lunch with them regularly, and played board games with them once a month. Through the TOPS program in my town, I have been matched with several boys with special needs and have worked with them in a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. Continuing to remember the inclusion I’ve experienced, socially and sports wise, despite my disorder, I thought to extend the program and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for Senior Night. Lastly, I recently brought attention to the TOPS program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. Whichever direction I choose for my professional career, I look forward to continuing my charitable works in my community. Thank you very much for the opportunity to apply for this special scholarship.

From approximately age six, I realized I was a bit different. Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster. Before long, however, it became noticeable that my herky-jerky movements were more than just expending energy. My pediatrician soon confirmed that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette’s syndrome. My tics could make me very uncomfortable and even pained me at times. They also became increasingly visible to others. Hearing stories about isolation for those with differences, I came to fear for my life with this disorder. Probably my two favorite things in the world, socializing and sports, could be greatly impacted by my challenge, I remember thinking. The lessons I learned over the years, however, regarding my condition and the way it impacted my socializing and sports were eye opening, and a resulting blessing is the life of service to which I’ve been led. Being an extreme extrovert, I enjoy and appreciate my friendships immensely. A lesson I was so happy to learn regarding socialization with my disorder was that kids are largely kind and accepting even of those with differences. There are exceptions of course who will laugh, sneer and point, but those have been a rarity in my life, I’ve been so fortunate to say. Perhaps it has been the messages of inclusion emphasized lately in schools, the posters and stories about everyone being different in a way, driving home the directive that kindness is best. Another lesson not lost on me is that boys especially benefit from sports achievements, and they are thus usually shielded from teasing and isolation. Whether this is good, bad or indifferent, I can’t really say, but I was lucky enough again to benefit, being one of the better athletes in my town. Though my tics could even be visible from the pitcher’s mound, and I’ve been known as “Tourettes” on my varsity soccer team, my teammates and friends still love having me play, and my good fortune in being able to continue my second great passion I believe is what led me to a call to service. Throughout my school years, I’ve worked on countless service projects, organizing numerous fundraisers such as a wiffleball tournament for the Jimmy Fund, volunteering at food pantries, building beds and wrapping presents for the underprivileged, and spending time with the elderly. The best examples I can provide of my service work with those I considered to be in my position, however, are my Best Buddies involvement during my middle school years and especially The Outreach Program for Soccer (“TOPS”) during my high school years. Through the TOPS program in my town, I have been matched with several boys with special needs and have worked with them in a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. Continuing to remember the inclusion I’ve experienced, socially and sports wise, despite my disorder, I thought to extend the program and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for senior night. Lastly, I recently brought attention to the program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. Throughout college and beyond, I vow to continue volunteering with agencies that help others with differences achieve their full potential and stay connected to their communities.

ducks whistle two shades guard sailboats end four lotion safety buy bullets center cowboys suit threw Yellow: Positions on a Football Team safety, guard, end, center I am an avid sports fan, and I really enjoy fantasy football. I am in several leagues, and the allure is both the camaraderie of competing against my friends and also the strategy, tactics, and modeling of putting the best team forward each week to win. Green: Things a Lifeguard Wears whistle, shades, suit, lotion I have been a lifeguard for the last two years, working at a local pool club where I am also on the swim and dive team and I teach swimming lessons to little kids. Being around a pool my whole life has afforded me many opportunities to excel athletically, make terrific friends, and be inspired by kids learning to swim (and inspiring them to do so!). Blue: Texas Hold-'em Slang for Dealt Cards in One's Hand bullets (pair of aces), ducks (pair of 2's), sailboats (pair of 4's), cowboys (pair of kings) This is a very hard category if one does not play Texas Hold'em, but I thought it was a good one as it provides at least another clue, which is that these are four of the five words in the whole puzzle that are plural and end with an "s" (if it were only four, it would be too easy!). One of the most popular and fun things I do with my friends is play poker. We play at least once a weekend and over the summer we may play as many as 3-4 times a week. I enjoy learning the odds of play as well as the strategy, but most importantly, we simply have a great deal of fun. It has also broadened my social circle, as different friend groups are mixing to play together, and it is creating a very positive connection in our school and our community. Parents are also enjoying the "house-hopping" and opportunity to interact more with all of the friend groups. Purple: Prepositions (in homonym form) two (to), four (for), threw (through), buy (by) Well, I did not want to make the puzzle easy, and homonyms sometimes throw me off when doing a Connections puzzle, so I wanted to add a whole category of them to my puzzle. Coming up with this category was an enjoyable challenge for me, and I feel it represents the puzzle well but also represents me too. I often try to think of things from multiple angles or come up with more than one solution to any problem or idea. This category is a perfect example of that. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

A male gymnast who grew up about an hour from my hometown ended up stealing the show at the Paris Summer Olympics, and I was so excited to root him on. Stephen Nedoroscik, an unassuming and shy-appearing athlete, who people soon compared to Clark Kent, had the audience riveted when he was the final competitor of the night in the men's team final, and all was riding on his shoulders. Prior to Nedoroscik's memorable performance in the men's team competition, the Team USA male gymnasts had exceeded expectations with stellar routine after stellar routine. They were in position to win a team medal and were beyond thrilled, jumping up and down, and giving each other high fives when all of the impressive scores were announced. One teammate sat on the bench during these celebrations, though, serious and focused with Clark Kent-type glasses on and no break in his concentration. At last, it was Nedoroscik's turn to finish out the night of competition on the pommel horse, the one event for which he was chosen to join the U.S. team. He handed his glasses over, as he already had his routine down pat in his head and felt he didn't have to see perfectly to complete it. Twist after twist, dangerous turn after dangerous turn, the audience holding its collective breath, and finally Nedoroscik lifted his legs in the air and over the pommel horse in a perfect dismount. The best part about the completion of Nedoroscik's routine was the unbridled joy felt by seemingly everyone in the stadium. Nedoroscik knew he had done his best and pumped his fists into the air. After coming off the competition floor, he was given a hero's welcome by teammates and coaches and was lifted high in the air while everyone celebrated like they had won 100 gold medals. In reality, Nedoroscik's routine had clinched the team bronze medal for the male gymnasts, but this was quite a feat for the Americans, and they were beyond thrilled. Based on his impressive pommel horse routines, Nedoroscik was able to compete in the event final the next week and treated the crowd to another fantastic performance, winning another bronze medal to the delight of his teammates, coaches and the audience. In keeping with the Clark Kent/Superman comparison that had been expanded upon over the week, Nedoroscik was given an American flag cape after winning the individual bronze and flashed for the crowd his trademark huge smile with glasses back in place. For a week in July 2024, Stephen Nedoroscik captured the hearts of American Olympic enthusiasts and reminded everyone what sheer joy can look like. And that was something really special.

The Office is surely one of the premiere comedies in television history, and its cast of characters with their faults and quirks is especially entertaining. For a few reasons I feel like the character, Michael Scott, resonates with me. At his core, Michael tries hard and wants to do his best to run a solid business. I try hard in all of my endeavors, like Michael, and work to excel at sports, academics, part-time jobs, activities and all else that makes up the life of a teenager. Though he stumbles often, I believe Michael's heart is in the right place and he has good intentions. Like Michael, and anyone else, I make my fair share of mistakes, and I feel that both Michael and I learn from those blunders and try to be better people thereafter. As the leader of the company, Michael is connected to the workers, he's personable, and he likes to be vocal. I'm told that I'm a leader, and I'm a bit of an outspoken extrovert, so those are additional ways that I connect with Michael Scott. The show has shaped my sense of humor by helping me take life less seriously and find those moments that can be poked fun at, creating a smile or a laugh. I've learned how to be the instigator in creatively exposing these kinds of joke and have also figured out how to take it lightly if I'm the subject of such a joke. These amusing moments can be a relief and a reset at times, I've found, and it's been especially helpful for me to become comfortable with this kind of humor because my friends appreciate and utilize it. Though I have not worked in a traditional office setting yet, I see myself doing so in the future, and I can tell from the show that it's important to appreciate each person's talents, eccentricities, interests, and style so that all work effectively together for the sake of the company's goals.

From approximately age six, I realized I was a bit different. Typical of many boys, I was incredibly active as a youngster. Before long, however, it became noticeable that my herky-jerky movements were more than just expending energy. My pediatrician soon confirmed that I had a tic disorder and mild form of Tourette’s syndrome. My tics could make me very uncomfortable and even pained me at times. They also became increasingly visible to others. Hearing stories about isolation for those with differences, I came to fear for my life with this disorder. The lessons I learned over the years, however, regarding my condition were eye opening, and a resulting blessing is the life of service to which I’ve been led. The main lesson I was so happy to learn was that kids are largely kind and accepting even of those with differences. There are exceptions of course who will laugh, sneer and point, but those have been a rarity in my life, I’ve been so fortunate to say. Perhaps it has been the messages of inclusion emphasized lately in schools, the posters and stories about everyone being different in a way, driving home the directive that kindness is best. I am an extreme extrovert, so I'm beyond grateful that I've been able to keep friendships and have a social life despite being a bit different. My other passion besides my friends is sports, and, though my tics could be visible from the pitcher’s mound, and I’ve been known as “Tourettes” on my varsity soccer team, my teammates and friends still love having me play, and my good fortune in this way once again is I believe what has led me to a call to service. Throughout my school years, I’ve worked on countless charitable projects, organizing numerous fundraisers such as a wiffle ball tournament for the Jimmy Fund, volunteering at food pantries, building beds and wrapping presents for the underprivileged, and spending time with the elderly. The best examples I can provide of my service work with those I considered to be in my position, however, are my Best Buddies involvement during my middle school years and especially The Outreach Program for Soccer (“TOPS”) during my high school years. Through the TOPS program in my town, I have been matched with several boys with special needs and have worked with them in a group on soccer drills and then played soccer games with the team as a whole, helping to direct their passing and shooting. Continuing to remember the inclusion I’ve experienced despite my disorder, I thought to extend the program and ensure that the TOPS participants played an important role in our big town soccer night. During this annual event, the TOPS players are now able to accompany varsity high school players out onto the field when they are announced for senior night. Lastly, I recently brought attention to the program through my job as a sports reporter for my town’s newspaper, and this resulted in even more program participants for the fall. I plan to continue being heavily involved in service projects throughout college and beyond, and this scholarship would help me pay for the high costs of college for which I would be eternally grateful. Long term I am interested in becoming a doctor, as I've been inspired by the professionals who've cared for me while I've dealt with my tics, and I've heard from them about the charitable trips they've taken to underprivileged parts of the world to help. That is something that would interest me greatly. Thank you so much for this opportunity to apply.

Reading about Dr. Higgins' extremely impressive accomplishments in the field of chemistry made me think back to my days as a youngster when I was fascinated by any chemical experiment I could get my hands on (and my mother bought me dozens!). Chemical reactions and their effects are beyond interesting to me, and it is wonderful to read about someone like Dr. Higgins who has taken these experiments and used them for such good. I still possess an avid interest in chemistry, especially after studying the subject as a sophomore in high school, and I am considering a career in the field, but I've also recently been drawn to entrepreneurship in a different and unexpected way. My great-great-grandfather started a flavoring company in 1906, and this business was in the last couple of years inherited by my father who has taught me how to turn it into so much more with his innovative ideas. Our family business, The Dolan Flavoring Company, lost steam over the years after my great-great-grandfather's death in the 1980's because there wasn't a relative in previous generations interested in keeping it going. After my father was tapped to inherit the business, however, he brought it into the 21st century by creating a website and social media accounts and has also used his sales experience to add dozens of new distributors of our products. Inspired by my father, I decided to see how I could help with the business in a number of ways. This summer, I made a list of ice cream stores in Cape Cod to which we could provide samples. We are now in talks with two of these stores regarding their switching to our vanilla product. I also wrote a letter to a supermarket chain, Market Basket, about carrying our vanilla on their shelves and was successful in convincing them to start carrying our product in their three stores in Maine, where our vanilla is produced and best known. I plan to help track the sales information so that I can write a follow-up letter and ask about the vanilla being carried in all of the Market Basket stores eventually. I've also helped sell the vanilla at farmers markets, learned about some accounting procedures, and planned and executed several Facebook and Instagram posts featuring our products. All of these tasks have made me quite interested in starting a business myself some day, and I'm thankful for the experience I've received in this area from our family company. The generous North Star Dreamers Scholarship would help me pay for the considerable expense of college so that I could take classes that would teach me that much more about being successful as an entrepreneur, whether it is in business or possibly also developing my original passion of chemistry. I would be so incredibly grateful for the chance to win this scholarship to put the funds toward my education, and I thank the scholarship organizers so much for the opportunity to apply.