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Students Named WALKS Scholars

The WALKS Foundation has named Christopher Jones ’16, Gary Simons ’17 and Kailin Wright ’16 as WALKS Scholars for the 2015-2016 academic year.
 
WALKS is an acronym for five Hartford area schools — Westminster School, Avon Old Farms School, Loomis Chafee School, Kingswood Oxford School and Suffield Academy. WALKS’ focus is toprovide students with limited finances from Greater Hartford, who possess the talent, commitment and energy to succeed in a competitive academic environment, an opportunity to attend one of its five member schools. WALKS Scholarships are funded by area businesses, foundations, families and individuals.
 
Christopher Jones ’16, a resident of Hartford, is a Sorenson Pearson Scholar and a Hartford Youth Scholar. At Westminster, he is a peer counselor, Black and Gold tour guide, captain of First Boys’ Basketball, and a member of John Hay Society, the Multicultural Student Union, the Computer Club and the Math Club. His off-campus activities include volunteering at soup kitchens, providing community service at South Park Inn in Harford and participating in walks for cancer. In college, he hopes to study computers or electrical engineering.
 
Gary Simons ’17, a resident of South Windsor and a Hartford Youth Scholar, is a member of the Multicultural Student Union, Black and Gold, the Student Activities Committee, John Hay Society, the Business Club and the Math Club. He also is an officer of Multicultural Affairs and participates in Dramat, swimming and diving, and track and field. He aspires to be an obstetrician.
 
Kailin Wright ’16, a resident of Hartford, is a Heads Scholar. She participates in Chorale, Dramat and Technical Theater, and enjoys volleyball, basketball and tennis. She hopes to major in English and singing in college. This year she is studying in Italy with School Year Abroad.
 
In addition to the three WALKS Scholars, Sarah Melanson ’16 was named a recipient of the Barnes Service Award, which annually recognizes one student at each school who demonstrates exemplary volunteer service either on or off campus. She has been an active member of SON (Serving Our Neighbors) since her arrival at Westminster and currently serves as its president. She has worked on many service activities including the annual Halloween dance food drive, the Simsbury turkey trot, the Christmas Angel Tree Project, Feeding Children Everywhere and Hats On Day, and has provided support to the MS Walk and WCLP. She is a three-season athlete, gives tours with Black and Gold and has helped raise funds for the American Breast Cancer Association.
 
The students attended the annual WALKS Scholars luncheon Oct. 22 at the Tumblebrook Country Club in Bloomfield, where Gary spoke about his life before Westminster and today as a Fifth Former. “I have a lot of friends, who I never would have met without Westy,” he said. “I auditioned for my first play last month and received a role. I take three AP courses and three honors classes. During the winter, I’ll swim for Westminster, and in the spring for the first time in eight years, I will play tennis.” He then talked about his experience at Two Rivers Magnet Middle School in East Hartford saying: “I worked hard in my classes until that wasn’t enough for me. That is when I joined the Hartford Youth Scholars Foundation. With their help, I was able to be challenged more and apply to independent schools. Now to be cliché, I have come a long way.” He said he is challenged at Westminster and sees himself on track to becoming an obstetrician. In closing, he added that if asked if he has gained anything from being at Westminster, he would respond, “I gained the tools to make me the person I want to be.”
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