FAIRFIELD, Conn. Rachel Finlaw, Ashley Crowe, Chelsea Liao, Molly OConnor and Melissa Warten are leaving Fairfield Ludlowe High School behind next month. But after meeting a challenge posed to them when they were freshmen, theyll be leaving it a better place.
Craig Pollard, a cancer survivor, visited the girls class three years ago as an inspirational speaker hired to address bullying problems at the school. He announced the Teens for Tolerance Scholarship program, which would give $20,000 in scholarships to students who started programs to improve the schools environment.
The students at Fairfield Ludlowe High School accepted my challenge and created meaningful programs that promoted acceptance and tolerance throughout their schools and community, Pollard said. Its my hope that through Teens for Tolerance, students will continue to make positive change for many years to come.
Finlaw, Crowe, Liao, OConnor and Warten were chosen as this years recipients of the scholarships. They received their awards at a dinner Sunday night.
Finlaw and Crowe were granted a $12,000 scholarship for bringing the United Sports Program to Ludlowe. The organization pairs students with special needs with their peers for athletic events.
Liao and OConnor were chosen as $4,000 scholarship recipients for their work starting Teens Ready to Unite and Start Tolerance (TRUST). The student group volunteers with sick children at Yale-New Haven Hospital and encourages fellow students to do the same.
Warten received a $4,000 scholarship for her work in starting Project POST (Promoting Optimism, Spreading Tolerance). She placed stacks of brightly colored Post-It notes around Ludlowe and invited classmates to write positive messages on them. The notes were then posted on a bulletin board for all to read.
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