Recipients and Finalists

Morgan Brewton-JohnsonHarvard Business School2023 Fitzie Award Recipient

Sarah DeonarainHarvard College2022 Fitzie Award Recipient

Adriana Arela Solis OstroskyHarvard Business School2022 Fitzie Award Recipient

Ria Sharma SharmaDana Hall School2022 Fitzie Award Recipient

Roshni ChakrabortyHarvard College2021 Fitzie Award Recipient

Tori EysieDana Hall School2021 Fitzie Award Recipient

Alexis JacksonHarvard Business School2021 Fitzie Award Recipient

Samantha Cornelia Webb O'SullivanHarvard College2021 Fitzie Award Recipient

Adeola Harvard Business School2021 Fitzie Award Recipient

Adelle GoldenbergHarvard College2020 Fitzie Award Recipient

Reeda IqbalHarvard College2020 Fitzie Award Recipient

Michelle Haeyun LeeHarvard Business School2020 Fitzie Award Recipient

Ainsley BonangDana Hall School2020 Fitzie Award Recipient

Xinyao LiDana Hall School2019 Fitzie Award Recipient

Salma AbdelrahmanHarvard College2019 Fitzie Award Recipient

Maya Danielle MiklosHarvard College2019 Fitzie Award Recipient

What's New?

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time running around in circles (it's track season!), working on some cool physics, and hanging with my blockmates.

Nancy Tingze Harvard Business School2018 Fitzie Award Recipient

Panipuck BhengsriDana Hall School2018 Fitzie Award Recipient

Hilda Mabel JordanHarvard College2018 Fitzie Award Recipient

Ryland RichDana Hall School2017 Fitzie Award Recipient

Marie BeckerHarvard College2017 Fitzie Award Recipient

Ariana ChaivaranonHarvard College2017 Fitzie Award Recipient

Carolyn FallertHarvard Business School2017 Fitzie Award Recipient

Rebecca Lynn FeickertHarvard Business School2017 Fitzie Award Recipient

Olivia Melissa CastorHarvard College2016 Fitzie Award Recipient

LaToya Nicole MarcHarvard Business School2016 Fitzie Award Recipient

Amera YoussefDana Hall School2016 Fitzie Award Recipient

Hayley Nicole PriceHarvard College2015 Fitzie Award Recipient

At Harvard College, Hayley was a Biomedical Engineering concentrator. She graduated with a language citation in Spanish, as well.

An aspiring doctor, Hayley’s focus is on applying engineering knowledge to clinical medicine. She spent a summer working in the Lewis Labs at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Her research consists of 2 parts - a biology aspect and an engineering aspect. On the biology side, she works with iPSCs (human induced pluripotent stem cells, which are cells that can potentially become any type of tissue in the body). These stem cells can be cultured and - with the right "ingredients" and conditions – ultimately develop into organoids, which replicate organ function on a tiny scale. Organoids are studied to gain insights into developmental processes and disease. On the engineering side, a big hurdle in the realm of organoid research is that it is hard to maintain organoids in the laboratory setting. Inside the body, actual developing organs benefit from nutrient and waste exchange, and are surrounded by arteries and capillaries to form complex networks. The engineering aspect of the project aims to recreate this environment in the laboratory. 3-D printing creates little scaffolds where the organoids are eventually implanted.

Outside of the lab, Hayley’s work with Pets as Therapy – as a volunteer and as a director – is an experience that defined her time at Harvard. Each week, volunteers bring dogs into a Cambridge nursing home to visit with the residents. Hayley’s interactions with the nursing home residents are her ”continuing call to action, transforming medical school from a logical next step into my life’s purpose, the culmination of my gift for science and my desire to help improve people’s quality of life.” Hayley, who is in her first year of medical school at Penn State, used her grant to travel to Spain.

Raya Wael HusamiDana Hall School2015 Fitzie Award Recipient

Raya describes herself as "a proud Muslim Jordanian Feminist Advocating for Education, Peace, Equality, and Justice for ALL." Leadership, service, and diversity are of the greatest importance to her. Raya was inspired, in particular, by two leadership training experiences: the National Association of Independent Schools' Student Diversity Leadership Conference and The Girls Summer Leadership Program (GSLP) at Dana. Encouraged by her mentors at GSLP, Raya served as a mentor herself in the program. Raya's interest in service is evident in her long-term involvement with Cradles to Crayons. Cradles to Crayons supplies clothing and toys to children who are homeless or living in low-income situations. As a Teen Corps Leader, Raya led volunteer groups as they sorted items and filled orders. Raya also served as one of the All-School Co-Presidents at Dana.

Outside of Dana, Raya's love of math led her to participate in Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) at MIT. Through the program, she worked on a variety of hands-on projects and learned about professions in science and engineering. Raya also interned with the Microfund for Women in Jordan. She witnessed firsthand both the positive impact and the limitations of microfinance. Raya feels that although microfinance moves women forward economically, access to education and leadership training will help women move ahead socially. Raya hopes to establish a leadership training program, modeled on the GSLP at Dana, for girls in Jordan. She used part of her grant for an intensive Arabic course at the University of Jordan.

Amandla Agoro Ooko-OmbakaHarvard Business School2015 Fitzie Award Recipient

Tajalane FirminDana Hall School2014 Fitzie Award Recipient

Following in the path of Tatianna Witter, a 2010 Fitzie Foundation recipient, Taggie came to Dana Hall through the Steppingstone Foundation. The only child of a single mother, she credits much of her success at Dana to the preparation she received from the Steppingstone Foundation and to the example of strength and courage set by her mother.

With the encouragement of the Dana community, Taggie developed confidence in her leadership skills over time. As one of the heads of SHADES, the student-led multicultural club, she worked hard to revive the club_??s presence in the school. Informative presentations and creative social events increased awareness about the club and its mission to educate the community about diversity. Her experience with SHADES gave Taggie the self-assurance to run for and to be elected as a Senior Class Co-President.

Taggie used her grant to travel to Dublin, London, and Paris.

Ishani Dhakshika PremaratneHarvard College2014 Fitzie Award Recipient

Ishani graduated from Harvard College in 2015 with a degree in Social Anthropology and a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy.

The summer prior to her freshman year at Harvard, Ishani travelled to Sri Lanka, a country in recovery from a brutal civil war. She hoped to better understand the physiological and emotional nature of trauma by interviewing war widows. A desire to document their stories shifted quickly to a need to help. During her first year at Harvard, she, along with her twin sister Inesha, founded GrowLanka. Using text messaging, GrowLanka connects war widows to job opportunities. By 2014, over 600 women had found employment through the program.

A pre-medical student at Harvard, Ishani combined her interest in medicine with research into the ways in which policies and cultural constraints affect health and healthcare outcomes. She interned at the Harvard Global Health Initiative in Tanzania and the World Health Organization in Geneva. Ishani also spent the spring of her junior year working in Mexico as a Partners in Health intern to Dr. Paul Farmer and a Harvard Medical School Global Health Equity Option Scholar. Through her work around the world, Ishani developed an interest in the link between storytelling and healing. She used her grant to study Narrative Therapy at the Dulwich Center in Australia.

Kiran GandhiHarvard Business School2014 Fitzie Award Recipient

Kiran graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown with a double major in Mathematics and Political Science, and a minor in Women's Studies. A professionally trained drummer, she spent much of her free time playing venues in the Washington, D.C. area. Truly passionate about music, Kiran envisioned a future career where she could apply her education to the business side of the music industry.

Hired as an intern for Interscope Records, her dream became a reality when her math background was uncovered. A new position, Digital Analyst, was created for Kiran. She was tasked with studying YouTube, Twitter, and Spotify data in order to answer questions such as, "How many YouTube views are considered a success?".

Kiran'??s focus on the intersection of business, data, and music continued at HBS. Specifically, she explored the ways in which the theories learned from case studies could be applied to the current challenges in the music industry and the music technology space. As well, Kiran founded "Music Minds", a collaboration of students from HBS, MIT, and the Berklee School of Music, to work on solutions to these challenges. Impressively, Kiran managed her academic work load and other commitments while still finding time to perform on tour with the singer and rapper M.I.A.

Kiran is using her grant to produce her own album where she will "use electronics to create beautiful soundscapes, sing over them, and write positive, danceable lyrics about gender equality".

Emily Garland MartinDana Hall School2013 Fitzie Award Recipient

Emily is currently a sophomore at Vassar College, and is the Assistant to the Director for the Vassar Repertory Dance Theater.

A leader, a serious student who loves math in particular, and an accomplished dancer, Emily was an active member of the Dana Hall community. She was the Literary Co-Editor of Mirage, the school's literary magazine, and was elected the Senior Class Co-President.

Emily is a classically trained ballet dancer. She has studied modern, jazz, choreography, and repertory, as well. She is truly passionate about dance. It's not only the activity that she loves, but one as well, where she continues to challenge herself and one that has positively impacted other aspects of her life. In 2013, Emily was accepted into the Advanced Level Summer Intensive Program at the Joffrey Ballet School. Fulfilling a long-standing dream to dance in New York City, Emily used her grant for the program.

Nina Xiao GuHarvard College2013 Fitzie Award Recipient

Nina, the child of Chinese immigrants, is a first generation American and the first in her family to pursue a PhD. A chemistry concentrator at Harvard, her work focuses on "developing new chemical catalysts that can generate usable fuels from the waste products from gasoline combustion, which could recycle fuel to provide a lasting source of energy for the world."? Her research could prove central to addressing both the issues of global warming and declining natural resources. By April of her senior year at Harvard, Nina had two published papers to her name, a remarkable accomplishment for an undergraduate.

Nina devoted her time away from the lab to Harvard China Care (HCC). The organization works with adopted Chinese children in the Boston area to help them better understand their Chinese heritage. Through HCC, Nina also worked as an intern in China. She taught American culture and English language classes to orphans in an effort to prepare them for life in the United States.

Nina is currently pursuing her PhD at Caltech. She used her grant to travel through Iceland, where she was excited to sample geothermally-cooked rye bread, pickled herring, and skyr. She plans to use the remainder of her grant for photography lessons.

Megumi Robin GordonHarvard Business School2013 Fitzie Award Recipient

A 2005 graduate of Harvard College, Megumi spent two years working as a consultant in Tokyo and five years in Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya working for the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) before coming to Harvard Business School. As part of CHAI's malaria team, she worked on facilitating the implementation of a malaria drug subsidy program across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Of her role in the program's launch, Megumi commented, "It would be nice if I could say the program was successful because of a grand strategy that I developed. In reality, I think it succeeded because I was scrappy."

At HBS, Megumi served as Social Chair of the Africa Business Club and worked with the Social Enterprise Club. With her inherent love of travel and exploration, it is no surprise that in her free time, she brought groups of family and friends to Cuba, Kenya, and, alongside 10 Japanese students from HBS, she led a group of 90 students on the annual HBS Japan Trek. Megumi has deferred the use of her grant.

Although I find inspiration in many people, it was only when I arrived at business school that I realized that my most steady and resilient inspiration has come from my mother. I share this because as I read Fitzie's story, I was struck by how powerful the story of a female leader and mother can be.

Nicole ShomairHarvard Business School2012 Fitzie Award Recipient

Nicole is a Vice President at 13th Floor Investments in Miami.

An Honors Business graduate of The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, Nicole spent four years at The Boston Consulting Group. She worked, as well, as a financial analyst for One Laptop Per Child. Her experience at One Laptop Per Child, where her passions "education and business" converged, shaped her goal to help others discover their love of learning. Ultimately, Nicole would like to build a network of business literacy and mentoring programs that are targeted toward high school students from at-risk communities.

At HBS, Nicole was a Co-President of the Jewish Student Association and a Harvard Board Fellow. As a Fellow, she served as a temporary board member for Teachers 21, a non-profit whose mission is to improve the quality of teachers through professional development. Nicole also continued her long-standing tradition of hosting a weekly Shabbat dinner. More than a religious observance, the tradition has informed a value system to which she is deeply dedicated: developing relationships, encouraging social inclusion, and building communities. Honored by her nomination for the Fitzie Award, Nicole commented, "I am thankful to have had the opportunity to learn about Fitzie's story. It is a heartfelt reminder of the enormous opportunity each of us has to impact the lives of others."

Mary Olney FulhamDana Hall School2012 Fitzie Award Recipient

Thoughtful and self-reflective, Mary's optimistic spirit was challenged when she suffered a complex concussion. As she remarked, "my happiness had always been fueled by what I saw as the miracles of daily life: from going to a Lady Gaga concert with my friends, to reading about the great strides that the United Nations has made in reaching the Millennium Development Goals, every second of every day holds endless possibilities. The isolation that was necessary for my healing process cut me off from my greatest source of happiness - simply living my life."

As she began to recover, Mary enrolled at Dana as a junior. A few short months into her first year, she was elected Co-President of her class. Encouraged by her classmates'?? respect for her leadership abilities and by her success as part of Dana'??s Model United Nations team, Mary's interest in pursuing a political career grew.

Currently, she is studying Diplomacy and World Affairs at Occidental College. Mary has deferred the use of her grant.

Gresa MatoshiHarvard College2012 Fitzie Award Recipient

Gresa graduated from Harvard with a degree in Social Studies. She is currently at Goldman Sachs.

Gresa spent her early childhood in Kosovo in the midst of the ethnic conflict in the Balkans. Elementary school was a challenge as there were limited resources for Kosovars - one textbook for thirty students and school attendance in shifts to accommodate overcrowded classrooms. As life in Kosovo deteriorated, Gresa'??s father fled to the United States where he ultimately found work as a doorman. Five years later, the political situation worsened and Gresa, her mother, and her four siblings fled to Macedonia. Separated initially (Gresa was nine years old) the family was reunited and emigrated to the U.S.

As a result of her childhood experiences, Gresa developed an interest in learning about state reconstruction after mass conflict. Her studies at Harvard allowed her to explore many solutions to the rebuilding process in Kosovo. More specifically, Gresa's senior thesis examined the reconstruction of Kosovo's justice system. Outside of the classroom, Gresa volunteered as a Citizenship Tutor at the Institute of Politics. Drawing from her own experience in becoming a U.S. citizen, Gresa coached Harvard employees for their citizenship exams. As well, she served as a Project Director for Circle of Women, an organization that works to provide access to education for girls in developing countries.

Katherine Elida WarrenHarvard College2012 Fitzie Award Recipient

Katherine graduated from Harvard as concentrator in Social Anthropology with a minor in Psychology.

As an undergraduate, Katherine developed a community-service based organization, The Athena Program, alongside three peers. The program mentors high school girls from underserved areas in Boston as they work to achieve their goal of attaining a college education. She is also the co-founder of the Akili Institute, a student-led online think tank whose goal is to effect positive change in global health efforts. The Institute uses social media to facilitate student engagement, which in turn, brings the discussion of global health issues to a wider youth audience.

Outside of Harvard, Katherine has had a long-standing interest in Native American history, culture, and the challenges faced by indigenous peoples. In particular, her late uncle, who was an Indian Health Service surgeon, instilled in her a passion for Native American Health Care. Katherine has worked closely with the Navajo Nation and the Fort Peck Tribes. Her senior thesis, which won the 2013 Ethnic Studies Thesis Prize, examined the Fort Peck Tribes' approach to a rise in suicides among young females in the community.

Following graduation, Katherine worked in Washington, D.C. as a Truman-Albright Fellow. She is a 2014 Rhodes Scholar, and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Global Health Science at Oxford.

Melanie Jane BaskindHarvard College2011 Fitzie Award Recipient

Melanie graduated from Harvard with a degree in Neurobiology, a minor in Global Health and Health Policy, and a language citation in Spanish. She is currently in her second year at Harvard Medical School.

At Harvard, Melanie was the Captain of both the Women's Soccer and Lacrosse teams. She was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in soccer in her freshman year. In addition to the demands of playing two varsity sports, Melanie served as a Peer Advising Fellow for ten freshmen and on the Community Service Board of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Melanie's interest in the importance of preventative health care led her to a summer position at Project Health (now Health Leads). Through the program, she worked as an advocate in the maternity ward at the Boston Medical Center.

Melanie used her grant from the foundation to explore the world. She hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, travelled to Italy with the Harvard Soccer team, and travelled and worked in Brazil during the World Cup. In Brazil, she worked with three programs through Coaches Across Continents and the Guerreiras Project. Both organizations use soccer to promote gender equity. Coaches Across Continents also uses soccer as a tool to teach conflict resolution, health and wellness, and social inclusion. Throughout her travels, Melanie was fascinated by the role that soccer plays in different parts of the world, particularly for women.

Taylor Susanne FreretHarvard College2011 Fitzie Award Recipient

Lauren Ashley BaumHarvard Business School2011 Fitzie Award Recipient

Following her graduation from Stanford University, Lauren spent two years working in Public Relations for Kaplow Communications in New York. Her career took an unexpected turn when Hurricane Katrina hit her hometown of New Orleans. In the aftermath of the hurricane, she returned home to assist with rebuilding the city she loves. Initially, she joined Idea Village (a non-profit dedicated to entrepreneurship) as a volunteer. What began as a temporary move became permanent as Lauren was invigorated by her work to rejuvenate the city's economy. While at Idea Village, Lauren developed and implemented new programs that support entrepreneurs in New Orleans.

At HBS, Lauren served as an advisor to the Social Enterprise Initiative, an organization dedicated to adapting and applying business practices to effect social change. As well, she worked on an Independent Project with New Orleans Saints Quarterback, Drew Brees to launch Nine Brand (a retail venture with a charitable component). After graduation, Lauren managed the start-up and launch process for Nine Brand before taking a position at Google. She is currently a Product Marketing Manager for Google.

Upon receipt of the Fitzie Foundation award, Lauren remarked, "I feel as though I have gotten to know Fitzie, and can imagine her warmth, her spunk and her genuine passion for people and adventure. The award that was established in her honor is such a rewarding way to commemorate and celebrate her life and I am beyond honored to have been selected."

Lauren used her grant to attend Summit at Sea.

Caroline Shea LyonsDana Hall School2011 Fitzie Award Recipient

An exuberant personality, Caroline is a leader at Dana Hall. A skilled debater in Model UN, she was selected to lead the first Middle School Model UN team. In her junior year, she served as a proctor in her dormitory, and was elected to be one of the All-School Co-Presidents for her senior year.

Caroline is most at home in the theatre. She enjoys any aspect of it from playing the lead to directing. She was proud to represent Dana at the Massachusetts chapter of The English Speaking Union Shakespeare Competition. She was equally excited to work with children as the assistant director of a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Though she loves all forms of theater, Caroline is truly passionate about Shakespeare. Hamlet is her particular favorite. In her free time, she loves nothing more than watching the series, "Playing Shakespeare"? where members of the Royal Shakespeare Company discuss their knowledge of Shakespeare and their acting techniques. Caroline used her grant to study in England at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).

Zaineb De SouzaHarvard Business School2011 Fitzie Award Recipient

A native of Australia, Zaineb is a graduate of the University of New South Wales in Sydney. In conjunction with her studies as an Information Systems and Management Co-operative Scholar, she rotated through three six-month corporate work assignments. Zaineb also completed an Honours Year or a postgraduate year of study. Her Honours Year research focused on the reason schoolchildren use social networking sites, and what compels them to disclose personal information on the sites. Zaineb worked for Booz

Mina Valentinova KazanlievaHarvard Business School2010 Fitzie Award Recipient

Mina grew up in Bulgaria in, as she describes it, a "period of turmoil and limited opportunities." At the age of 17, she came to the United States to attend a summer program at Choate Rosemary Hall. Ultimately, Mina was admitted to Choate as a full-time student and remained in the U.S. on her own. She continued on to Princeton and then Harvard Business School. Mina and her family were finally reunited several years later when she was able to move her parents to the United States.

Between Princeton and Harvard Business School, Mina worked in the Healthcare Investment Banking Group at Goldman Sachs before joining Centerbridge Partners. At HBS, her studies were affected by the recent credit crisis. She believes that the bailouts, the value loss, and the long reaching consequences of the crisis require a new kind of leadership. To further develop her own capabilities, Mina took additional classes on leadership. In the future, she hopes to put those skills to good use. "I get inspired by people, I want to build something, [and] I want to create opportunities for others in turn."

Justine Kelly LelchukHarvard Business School2010 Fitzie Award Recipient

Prior to attending Harvard Business School, Justine worked at Deloitte Consulting. She focused primarily on working with two leading agricultural organizations in Minnesota. At the end of her tenure at Deloitte, Justine spent six months on an externship with the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction in the Philippines. Her work in the Philippines enabled a community to become more reliant on its own products and less tied to imports from surrounding regions.

At HBS, Justine served as Co-President of the Student Association. She created many new programs, including the Impact Initiative. This two-part service initiative brought together first-year HBS students and seventh graders from the Boston public school system. The first-year students taught a leadership curriculum to the seventh graders. Later in the year, the seventh graders came to HBS to take a case-based class and to tour the campus. The HBS students helped seventh graders reflect on what it means to be a leader and inspired them to be leaders in whatever way they can. As a result, the seventh graders were encouraged to work harder and to have bigger dreams. The first-year HBS students became more aware of and made a positive difference in the community around them.

Mary Elizabeth Mazzio-MansonTenacre Country Day School2010 Fitzie Award Recipient

Tatianna Jessica WitterDana Hall School2010 Fitzie Award Recipient

Tatianna, a quiet leader at Dana, was selected by her peers as one of the All-School Co-Presidents. Her selection came as no surprise to anyone except, perhaps, Tatianna. In addition to her leadership roles, she was very active in the community. She took part in a broad range of activities from the Dana Hall Gospel Choir and the Mock Trial Club and Team, to the Diversity Committee and the Varsity Volleyball team.

A first generation Jamaican-American, Tatianna came to Dana through the Steppingstone Foundation. She credits the foundation with her success at Dana, and was pleased to give back to the program by working as a Teaching Assistant during the summer. Eventually, she would like _?ñto research and raise awareness about programs like Steppingstone that have the opportunity to help disadvantaged youth obtain a better future._?

Mary Elizabeth M-M.Tenacre Country Day School2010 Fitzie Award Recipient

Daisy's favorite subjects are science and social studies. She enjoys creating her own experiments in the lab and trying experiments that others think will fail. She was particularly pleased to figure out how to make a battery into a magnet. In Social Studies, Daisy is interested in learning about the actions and thoughts of people in the past. In her view, it is critical to learn about history so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. Outside of school, Daisy loves to play sports. She is on a soccer team, and a member of two hockey teams. Remarkably, she is the only girl to play on the top boys_?? hockey team in Wellesley.

In her application to the Fitzie Foundation, Daisy wrote about her admiration for her grandfather. She remarked that her _?ñgrandfather was a kind man to everyone. He spent his whole life helping other people. He touched the lives of everyone he met. In my life I hope to touch the lives of many people, like my grandfather. And like Fitzie._?

Marguerite ThorpHarvard College2010 Fitzie Award Recipient

At Harvard, Margie was a pre-medical student who chose a Social Studies concentration rather than the more standard concentration in the sciences. Though more challenging, Margie felt that the focus on Social Studies would better prepare her for work in Africa in the future. Aside from her studies, the Global Health and Aids Coalition was her primary campus activity at Harvard. Through her involvement with the coalition, she worked on both on campus and national advocacy campaigns.

A talented and versatile alpine skier, Margie raced ski cross in two World Cups and was a member of the Varsity Ski team. She took the spring semester of her sophomore year off with the intention of training and trying out for the 2010 United States Olympic Team. When injuries prevented her from skiing, Margie pursued her other passion, public health. She spent the semester working in Malawi as an intern for both the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative and Partners in Health. Her particular focus was on childhood malnutrition.

Susan E. De WolfHarvard College2009 Fitzie Award Recipient

An outstanding student at Harvard, Susan was a concentrator in Neurobiology with a secondary in French Language and Literature. She conducted independent research in the neurobiology lab of Dr. Takao Hensch. Susan also served as Co-Editor in Chief of the Harvard Science Review and as Co-Chair of the Lowell House Committee. At Lowell House, she was a tireless advocate for environmental issues.

Susan used her grant to study the extinct passenger pigeon. She was particularly interested in the role of pathogens as a factor in extinction, as well as the questions that arise when a species becomes extinct. What is the culpability of humans? How do we remember the species? She traveled to museums around the world to investigate pigeon species and to explore these questions about extinction.

Irina Lenni VaynermanHarvard College2009 Fitzie Award Recipient

Irina emigrated from the Soviet Union at the age of two with her parents and sister. With only sixty dollars in their pockets and little knowledge of the English language, her parents relied on the help and kindness of strangers and organizations to a start a new life in America. Shaped by her experiences as an immigrant and her desire to help others, as she herself was helped, Irina spent much of her time in high school and college involved in public service.
At Harvard, Irina_??s studies and extracurricular activities were a reflection of her desire to serve and to effect change. She was a Social Studies concentrator (with a focus on urban education) with a secondary in the Comparative Study of Religion. Both areas gave Irina a better understanding of the underlying issues she contends with in her public service work. She devoted much of her free time to her volunteer position as the Personnel Director of the Mission Hill After School Program. As well, Irina worked as a research assistant on the Harvard Immigration Policy Project. Irina commented that her _?ñpassion for public service and [her] love and thankfulness for [her] family translated into an energetic, insistent impulse for change and action.
Irina used her grant to travel to Israel and Italy. In Israel, she visited historic and religious sites and learned about the Israeli refugee experience. In Italy, Irina traveled to Rome and Florence and practiced her Italian language skills.

Christina Dawn HruskaHarvard Business School2009 Fitzie Award Recipient

An All-American rower and ROTC cadet at Princeton, Christina served from 2000-2007 as an officer in the United States Air Force. She spent much of her military career as the pilot of an RC-135 Reconnaissance Aircraft. Christina served in Iraq where she was awarded the US Air Force Achievement medal for a perfect safety record and exemplary combat leadership. Impressively, while on active duty she also completed her Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

Christina_??s experience at HBS enabled her to transition from a military career to a career in business. She developed her business knowledge and became interested in technology innovation and entrepreneurship. Ultimately, Christina would like to have a role as a manager and entrepreneur in the health care industry. She is particularly interested in transitioning technology from research labs into cost-effective, environmentally sound business solutions.

Elizabeth Witt RichardsTenacre Country Day School2009 Fitzie Award Recipient

Ç_Betsy enjoys Social Studies, and is particularly interested in learning about the history of the United States. As well, she finds acting a great deal of fun and loves to transform into a character on stage. Outside of Tenacre, Betsy_??s favorite sport is speed skating, which she started when she was ten years old.

When Betsy was in the fourth grade, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Betsy was inspired to organize a number of fundraising efforts for cancer research. In her first year of fundraising, she organized her classmates to collect cans to return for the deposit. The money earned was donated to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). The following year she expanded the can collection to include the entire school. She also ran three miles of the Boston Marathon with a teacher who was running to raise funds for Dana Farber. More recently, Betsy rode in the Kids_?? Pan Mass Challenge. Throughout this time period, Betsy learned many lessons. Most importantly, though, she feels that she learned _?ñto treat each day as a gift and to make it the best you can._?

Christin Walsh HaugheyDana Hall School2009 Fitzie Award Recipient

Christy, the 2009 recipient of the Fitzie Foundation award for Dana, founded _?ñBook Smart,_? a program to collect used text books. The books are distributed to schools in the United States that do not have access to text books. At Dana, Christy also served as a peer educator and worked with people with mental retardation through the Best Buddies Program.

A talented athlete, Christy excels at a number of sports. Her true passion, though, was ice hockey. Christy commented that _?ñfor me, like Fitzie, skates were magic._? Her hockey career came to an end when she suffered two concussions and had to give up skating. Though challenging, Christy feels that the experience made her stronger and gave her insight into what is important in life. She hopes to get more involved in raising awareness about concussions and concussion prevention, particularly for women.

Jean Amanda JuniorHarvard College2008 Fitzie Award Recipient

A sociology concentrator, an accomplished clarinetist, and a committed public servant, Jean graduated from Harvard College in June of 2009. Her dedication to helping others has taken her all over the world "from working at CityStep where she taught Cambridge Public School children dance, to setting up a health clinic in Costa Rica, to rebuilding homes in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina victims. Jean found her "dream job", though, when she spent a summer internship working for iTeach (Integration of TB in Education and Care for HIV/AIDS) in South Africa. She believes that "a life devoted to social justice work goes hand in hand with what I see as a continually exciting lifelong pursuit "namely, developing qualities such as selflessness, compassion, humbleness, which Fitzie embodied." Awarded a Fulbright scholarship, Jean deferred her entrance to medical school in order to return to iTeach for a year to work on a research project on HIV and TB treatment programs.

In 2009, Jean was selected as a Rhodes Scholar. During her two years at Oxford, Jean pursued an M. Phil in Evidence Based Social Intervention. From Oxford, she returned to the United States and Harvard Medical School. Jean found time during her studies to use her grant from the Fitzie Foundation to volunteer with One Heart-Worldwide in Urique, Mexico. You can read about her work here: https://fitziefoundation.org/blog/one-heart-urique-mexico/. More recently, Jean used additional funds from her grant for a homestay and French language program in Paris. She is in the first year of her pediatric residency.

Kathryn Anne LaidlawHarvard Business School2008 Fitzie Award Recipient

Upon her graduation from Duke in 2004, Katie was elected to the young trustee position at the University. Her three-year experience as a trustee, her work as a management consultant at The Parthenon Group in Boston, and her interest in consulting for non profits brought her to Harvard. As she explains, ""all of these experiences have been focused around serving and improving situations for others, which led to my decision to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School and an MPA at the Kennedy School." Katie's interest in public service is reflected in her role as a Zuckerman Fellow at the Kennedy School and in her involvement at the Business School as the Director of Conference Content for the Social Enterprise Conference. Katie plans to use her grant to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and to work at an NGO in the Kibera region outside Nairobi, Kenya.

Kate Rose KerriganTenacre Country Day School2008 Fitzie Award Recipient

Diagnosed with dyslexia in the first grade, Kate has worked hard to learn the skills necessary to face this challenge."Overcoming dyslexia has been one of the longest and hardest obstacles that I have had to overcome in my life, but it has taught me a life lesson, that with determination you can go very far in life and you can pursue what you love." Kate has used this determination to succeed academically and to excel in athletics. An accomplished soccer and basketball player, she was a key player on the U-11 AAU Massachusetts State Championship Basketball Team.

Candace Latia TaylorDana Hall School2008 Fitzie Award Recipient

The 2008 recipient of the Fitzie Foundation award for Dana Hall, Candace served in her junior year as the tri-head of the school's multicultural organization, SHADES. As a senior she led the school as Co-President, and continues to be an active volunteer in her church community, serving as a Sunday school teacher and assisting in the church-owned school. Beyond school and community, Candace's passion is dance. As she puts it, "Dance is everything. I have the passion, determination, and vigor of a dancer." To no surprise, Candace used her grant to pursue her dance studies at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles, California.

Sarah Joan TudrynHarvard Business School2007 Fitzie Award Recipient

Sarah's commitment to learning and education "her "inspiration, motivation, and aspiration" "are evident throughout her academic and professional career.

She has remarked that, "my passion for education stems from an understanding that it is the critical ingredient to achieving my goals, as well as enabling others to do the same." An NCAA Academic All-American in gymnastics at the University of Pennsylvania, Sarah was chosen as one of six undergraduates to help launch The Fox Leadership Program (TFLP), a program aimed at inspiring and training undergraduates for leadership positions. As a result of her efforts the membership and the role of TFLP increased.

After graduating from Penn, Sarah joined The Bridgespan Group as a consultant, with a particular focus on education. She worked with a community based organization to redefine its charter school model, and with a national education organization that wanted to expand its small schools initiative. From Bridgespan, Sarah moved to the Chancellor's Office of the New York City Department of Education. As part of the Chancellor's team, she was heavily involved in Columbia University's efforts to open a secondary school in Harlem. Sarah's hard work came to fruition "the Columbia Math and Science Secondary School opened in the fall of 2007.

At Harvard Business School, Sarah served as the co-leader of the New Orleans Service Immersion Trek, and collaborated with a senior lecturer on a case study of the New Orleans education system. Sarah used her grant for travel to Spain, Italy, and Portugal.

Sara Elizabeth RemsenDana Hall School2007 Fitzie Award Recipient

Biology has been a lifelong interest for Sara. She has pursued many opportunities to expand her scientific studies outside the classroom. Her experiences include volunteering with an Earthwatch program, taking a course in falconry, and maintaining a carnivorous plant garden. With Earthwatch in St. Croix, she tagged endangered nesting leatherback turtles, relocated their eggs, and protected the turtle hatchlings. At DolphinLab, a dolphin research center in the Florida Keys, Sara learned dolphin training techniques and physiology, and took an introductory course in marine mammal law.

At Dana Hall, Sara has made time for other challenges, too. She served as the Junior Co-President, as the Design and Layout Editor of Mirage, Dana Hall's art and literary magazine, and as a volunteer biology tutor. As a sophomore, she was one of the captains of the varsity fencing team, and an avid ultimate Frisbee player.

In her junior year, Sara chose to reduce her extracurricular activities and to focus on her studies in an effort to earn a Research Apprenticeship in Biological Studies (RABS) at Cornell. Her hard work paid off, as she was one of six students awarded a RABS. Using her grant from the Fitzie Foundation, Sara spent the summer of 2007 at Cornell, where she participated in research with golden hamsters on aggression, recognition of individuals, and the sex differences in aggression. On a broader level, the program exposed Sara to the rigors of biological research and increased her knowledge of animal behavior and neurology.

Erica Judith Wineland-ThomsonDana Hall School2007 Fitzie Award Recipient

Faon Marie O'ConnorHarvard College2007 Fitzie Award Recipient

A Government concentrator at Harvard, Faon created several independent study projects in order to make her interests in environmental policy and indigenous rights "intersect with the discipline of political science." One such project examined the ways in which Native groups in Alaska have created job opportunities through their expertise in environmental regulations. Another study examined education policy as it relates to deaf education.

Faon's activities outside the classroom reflect her interests as well. She has worked hard to raise awareness of environmental issues. Her efforts as the co-chair of Harvard's Environmental Action Committee led to Harvard's first conference on campus sustainability and to the publication of the Green Guide to Harvard. She served on the Committee for Deaf Awareness, and as a mentor to a deaf child in the Boston area through the Big Brother Big Sister program.

Faon used her grant to study Alaskan environmental and Native policy. Of her time in Alaska, Faon commented, "I had the opportunity to speak with elders, participate in a traditional Inupiat dance with the community members in celebration, and taste dishes like mikigaq (bowhead whale meat and blubber fermented in blood). As much as I could read about subsistence policy, Native culture, and Arctic civilizations, no amount of studying can meet the depth and connection to a subject that I encountered"I was able to meet people and hear them tell their own stories and perspectives. It is just that kind of experience, flexibility, and opportunity that your grant has made possible."

Christiana Billiet LacknerHarvard College2006 Fitzie Award Recipient

A History of Art and Architecture concentrator and a varsity athlete at Harvard, Christiana pursued all of her interests with passion and dedication. Academically, her particular interest was on the development and construction of environmentally sustainable or "green" architecture. She completed an internship at the Green Building Alliance in Pittsburgh, an organization that serves as a resource on sustainable architectural practices for building professionals in the Pittsburgh area, and devoted her thesis research to the subject of green architecture. Outside the classroom, Christiana volunteered with the Harvard Story Time Players, an organization that performs plays for children in local hospitals. As well, she served in the Harvard Student Athlete Partnership, a tutoring and mentoring program with local elementary schools.

Her main focus during her four years was playing on the Women's Varsity Basketball Team. In her senior year, Christiana was the unanimous selection to be captain of the team. Of her role on and off the basketball court, a teammate comments that Christiana "inhales humility and exhales compassion; her spirit and laughter are simply contagious."

After graduating from Harvard, Christiana played basketball in Belgium. While there, she used a portion of her grant to take an oil painting class. Christiana has continued to pursue her interest in visual arts and design, taking classes in product and interaction design while working in New York City. Christiana used the remainder of her grant to travel through Japan.

Kristy Laura McBrideHarvard Business School2006 Fitzie Award Recipient

Prior to attending Harvard Business School, Kristy spent five years as a consultant at Bain & Company in New York. In addition to her professional duties, Kristy devoted a great deal of her time to Bain's volunteer consulting organization, Inspire. She served as a Big Sister and helped to develop City Year's start-up strategy for New York City. Kristy led the Bain (New York) relationship with City Year.

Although her interests are many, and include a love of Duke basketball that stems from her undergraduate years at Duke, Kristy has a "" passion for urban education reform." She took a six-month leave of absence from Bain in order to work in the New York City Department of Education. There, she helped to implement a new public high school admissions policy that impacted all high school age students in the New York City area

At Harvard Business School, Kristy continued her involvement with education. She tutored a third grader weekly in reading and math. She also used her skills and experience to serve as a member of the Education Leadership Group of the Social Enterprise Club. Following her first year of business school, she worked for EdBuild, a nonprofit organization that is focused on improving public education in Washington, DC.

Kristy used part of her grand to travel to Newfoundland.

Caroline C. DavittTenacre Country Day School2006 Fitzie Award Recipient

A voracious reader, avid soccer player, and art lover, Caroline had many interests both within and outside of school. She thrived on the challenge of Mathematics, and particularly enjoyed that there were many ways to arrive at the correct answer when working on a math problem. Social Studies was another favorite because Caroline enjoyed learning about her own culture, as well as studying different cultures and peoples. She remarked that "I have always found it intriguing to meet a person from a different culture because I can learn so much about how people are different and unique in their own ways."

Aside from her studies at Tenacre, Caroline is truly passionate about soccer. With dedication and determination, she worked hard to make the "A" team, the top team in her town. As a member of the team, Caroline continually exhibited strength of character and an ability to rise to the challenge when faced with high pressure situations. Her coaches commented that she "displayed unique leadership abilities by successfully mixing her unbridled enthusiasm with a nurturing style that helped new players adjust to the sometimes demanding environment".

Now a Senior at Washington University of St. Louis, Caroline used her grant for a Medical Mission to Honduras in January of 2016.

Vanessa Marie BrownDana Hall School2006 Fitzie Award Recipient

Although a self-described "prankster", Vanessa was better known at Dana Hall for her kindness, diligence, motivation, and her determination. Academically, Vanessa's interests lay in architecture and art, both of which she hoped to study in college. At Dana Hall, she served as the eleventh grade student council boarding representative and took part in Blue Key and Model UN.

Vanessa's true passion, however, lay in learning about and promoting the ideas of multiculturalism and diversity. She was actively involved in SHADES "Sisters Honoring All Diasporas Enlightening Society "a multicultural organization at Dana Hall. To enhance her understanding of the issues of diversity and multiculturalism, Vanessa attended the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Students of Color Conference, as well as the Association of Independent Schools of New England's (AISNE) High School Students of Color conference. Both events had a profound impact on Vanessa. She was inspired to continue her efforts to promote diversity and multiculturalism within the Dana community, as well as to learn more about Africa. She hopes to use her grant to further her study of African culture.

"My passion in life is exploration, and cherishing the moments I can bring inspiration, or even a smile, to another. I excel through leadership in and out of the classroom, and find happiness in the success of others as well as my own."

Alison Esher CohenHarvard College2006 Fitzie Award Recipient

Alison attended the Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Washington, DC. Her experiences as one of very few white students in a predominantly Black school laid the foundation for her post-high school endeavors, and fostered an early interest in the ways in which race and gender impact access to health care and education. Alison chose to defer her entrance to Harvard for a year in order to work as a college counselor at Berkeley High School and to teach sixth grade in Woe, Ghana. Her work in Ghana "awakened her interest in the intersections of social justice, public education policy, and international health issues." As a result, she was a pre-med sociology concentrator at Harvard. In addition to her studies, Alison was involved in the Harvard African Student Association, a tutor at the Madison Park High School in Roxbury, and served as co-leader of the Harvard Spoken Word Society. She returned twice to Ghana "as an attendee at the HIV-AIDS Global Summit and as a student for a semester at the University of Ghana.

Alison's awareness of what it is to be in the minority, whether in a high school environment, as a Jewish person working at a Christian camp for mentally and physically challenged adults, or as a hearing person acting in a theater company comprised of deaf and hearing actors, provides her with a unique perspective. She hopes to combine her education and her life experiences to address health care and social issues both at home and in Africa. No matter where she is, she believes that ""certain aspects of communication remain the same: making the time to truly listen and having the urgent belief that forming a bond is important."

Alison used her grant to spend a year in Ghana.

Ricci Melissa WolmanHarvard Business School2005 Fitzie Award Recipient

Ricci Wolman grew up in South Africa surrounded by the struggles of the apartheid era. Inspired by events in South Africa, Ricci is committed to improving the situation of people living in impoverished communities.

After a year as an Investment Banking Financial Analyst at Bear Stearns, Ricci volunteered in the shantytowns of Lima, Peru and completed a year of national service as an Americorps VISTA volunteer. She was assigned to Accion International, a nonprofit organization that creates economic and community development with small business loan programs, and was subsequently hired on a permanent basis.

At the same time, Ricci founded Global Goods, a company that provides economic opportunities for international artisans. Sales of products such as beaded jewelry made by Sulu women from Kwazulu, Natal, South Africa provide greatly needed income for these women, who are often the sole breadwinners in their families.

Following her first year of business school, Ricci worked as a consultant to the Global Fairness Initiative (GFI). At GFI Ricci created the Synapse Fund which endeavors to bridge the gap created by microfinance investments that create capacity but not markets. The fund invests in projects that build trade infrastructure and trading networks to ensure that producers in poor areas have an opportunity to sell.

Ricci has deferred the use of her grant.

Katherine Adele TuckerTenacre Country Day School2005 Fitzie Award Recipient

An accomplished student, Katy found particular enjoyment in creative expression "from writing to composing music to artwork. She took great pleasure in creative writing because it is "fun, without many boundaries, to imagine and create." Beyond the exploratory possibilities in writing, Katy often used the written word to help her find solutions to problems in her own life. She would create characters that had to deal with and find answers to issues that she is facing.

In addition to her creative pursuits, Katy played a number of sports. While softball was her favorite, and she worked very hard to hone her skills as a pitcher, it was the teamwork aspect of sports that she found especially rewarding: "It's just you, your friends, and a common goal that you're all working together for."

Katy graduated from Tenacre in June 2006. She used her grant to pursue a more recent creative interest "photography. Katy purchased a digital camera, and will use the remainder of her grant to study photography.

Anna Frances ChaseDana Hall School2005 Fitzie Award Recipient

Frances was involved in many aspects of the Dana Hall community. She served as co-head of tour guides for the school, trained in classical piano, and created the Dana Outing Club. The club brings together members of the Dana Hall community interested in learning about and embarking on outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping, canoeing and kayaking. During the summer, Frances raced on a competitive sailing team and played in a steel drum band that competed in competitions and gave local benefit performances.

In the fall of her junior year, Frances took part in the Rocky Mountain Semester at the Mountain Institute in Leadville, Colorado, where the students live, work, and study on an alpine mountain campus. The program encourages students to pursue an academic and wilderness experience and to live simply in the natural world. For Frances, while the semester challenged her, it gave her greater self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment.

Frances will use her Foundation grant to study abroad in a home stay/community service program, through which she hopes to gain further insight into another culture, improve her Spanish language skills, and volunteer her skills at trail work.

Lindsey GaryHarvard College2005 Fitzie Award Recipient

Lindsey was a History of Art and Architecture concentrator at Harvard, with a particular focus on architecture. At Harvard, her involvement in the arts community was extensive. A talented tap dancer, Lindsey was a dancer and choreographer in the group TAPS. In addition to performing, Lindsey worked behind the scenes as a master painter and set designer for a variety of theatrical productions throughout her four years at Harvard.

Lindsey was an active participant in a number of other areas of Harvard life. She was very involved in Crimson Key as a tour guide and as a member of its Executive Board. In addition, she served as a prefect in Currier house and on the Currier House Tutor Search Committee.

Outside Harvard, Lindsey has worked to realize her goal of a career in production design. In Hollywood, she worked in the art department for the movies, "Jurassic Park III", "Constantine", "Serenity", and "Pirates of the Caribbean II". To further her skills in production design, Lindsey used her grant for training in three-dimensional computer graphic imaging.

Kweilin Moore EllingrudHarvard Business School2004 Fitzie Award Recipient

At the age of thirteen, Kweilin traveled to France to live with a French family and to attend a local school for a year. The experience was so rewarding that Kweilin spent the next four years cultivating similar experiences in China, Ecuador, and Japan. She attained fluency in the language of each country, an appreciation for the diversity of cultures in the world, and an impressive array of talents ranging from salsa to kung fu to Japanese flower arranging. Kweilin returned to the United States to attend college.

After graduating from Harvard, Kweilin spent two years working for McKinsey before entering the non-profit world at the Center for Women and Enterprise in Boston. At the Center, she worked to find venture capital for female entrepreneurs in high-growth businesses. She helped low-income female entrepreneurs to secure loans, and to build their businesses. Kweilin's work in the non-profit world, together with her experiences living abroad, led to the founding of Empowering Community Development International (ECDI). ECDI focuses on income generating projects, such as microfinance and farming, for low-income families in developing countries, and on building schools and mobile health clinics. Kweilin's hope is that ECDI will build its first school in Kenya by the end of 2005.

At HBS, Kweilin was a trustee of the Harbus Foundation, the student run philanthropic foundation, and co-president of the Women's Student Association. She will use her grant as seed capital for ECDI.

Shannon McEvoyTenacre Country Day School2004 Fitzie Award Recipient

Shannon was an excellent student with a broad range of interests outside of school. Both an accomplished stage performer and a talented athlete, she pursued her many endeavors with perseverance, hard work, and patience. She played the part of Viola in the Tenacre production of Twelfth Night, and has trained for many years as a singer and as a dancer. She particularly enjoyed jazz and tap dance. Ultimately, Shannon aspired to attain the status of "Diva" " the highest rank of dancer at her dancing school.

Because of her love for dance, Shannon noted that people are often surprised by her athletic endeavors. She played softball for a number of years, and played left wing for the Charles River girls' ice hockey team. She attended the Elite Girls' Hockey Camp. Shannon used a portion of her grant to attend ice hockey camp at Dartmouth College.

Maeghan L. OberoiDana Hall School2004 Fitzie Award Recipient

In her junior year at Dana Hall, Maeghan served with Tomi Onatunde as one of the class co-presidents. As well, she was an active member of the Diversity Task Force, an organization that enhances racial and ethnic diversity at Dana, and co-founded a student-run dance troupe, "A Step Above". While Maeghan is interested in all forms of dance " from tap to jazz, ballet, pointe, and modern " her true passion is Indian Classical Dancing or Bharatnatyam. Through the study of Indian dancing, she has learned discipline, focus, and determination while expanding her knowledge of Indian traditions and Hindu mythology. For Maeghan, dance presents an exciting challenge, as well as a connection to her culture and religion.

Oluwatomi I. OnatundeDana Hall School2004 Fitzie Award Recipient

Tomi served as co-president of the junior class with Maeghan Oberoi, and is active in many aspects of Dana Hall life. She sings in the Dana Gospel choir, is a big sister, and founded the Dana Hall Track Club. Outside of school, she performs with the FAITH step dancing squad. On tour, her troupe performed at Jacob's Pillow and the Landmark Center in Boston. As a result of a family illness, Tomi is very interested in genetics and in pursuing a career in genetic counseling. During the summer of 2003, she participated in Project Success, a Harvard Medical School study of the function of whole gene families. While in high school, Tomi designed and performed complex experiments for the project, including the cloning of DNA. The results of her work generated a tremendous amount of exciting data with respect to prostate cancer research.

Tomi plans to continue her research in a different area of genetics with her grant from the Foundation.

Gina Marie BrunoHarvard College2004 Fitzie Award Recipient

Gina concentrated in Government at Harvard, as well as at the Kennedy School and the Institute of Politics. Inspired by events within her own family, as well as by the photographs of the Rwandan genocide, Gina became very committed to pursuing a career in human rights. At Harvard, she worked with Professor Michael Ignatieff to define small, feasible, and truly pragmatic policy steps that could be taken to address difficult issues such as genocide and ethnic warfare. At the local level, Gina developed and implemented a poetry workshop for girls who are incarcerated at the Metro Boston Youth Detention Center. With Gina's guidance, the girls gradually became comfortable enough to speak and to write about themselves and about issues meaningful to them. Gina hopes to build upon her success

Anne Randall CapenerTenacre Country Day School2003 Fitzie Award Recipient

Anne was an active participant in many aspects of life at Tenacre. She played several sports, serves as a member of the Student Council, and volunteers as a "Big Reader" to younger students. Anne considered one of her talents to be creativity. She enjoyed drawing pictures, creating games for her family and friends, and in particular designing new objects. She liked to combine everyday objects in order to create something new and more interesting. As part of her application to the Fitzie Foundation, Anne submitted a quilt that she designed and sewed on her own.

Katherine Patricia TonerDana Hall School2003 Fitzie Award Recipient

Katie pursued both academics and extra-curricular activities with a love of life, determination, and a sense of humor. When her house was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, Katie gained a new sense of perspective - the importance of living each day to the fullest. At Dana, Katie was actively involved in community service. In her role as a member of the Dana Hall Community Service Advisory Board, Katie served as the liaison between Rosie's Place, a women's shelter, and Dana. She organized student volunteers to help prepare and serve lunch monthly. Katie was also the Co-Head of the Blue Key Club, a position that entails organizing school tour guides and working with the admissions office on admissions-related events. Outside of school, Katie was a competitive sailor and sailing instructor.

Katie deferred the use of her grant.

Phyllis Gay MaloneyHarvard College2003 Fitzie Award Recipient

At Harvard, Phyllis was actively involved in community service " both as a volunteer, and as a leader. She co-directed Strong Women, Strong Girls, a self-esteem development program which gives Harvard students the opportunity to mentor young girls in the Boston area. As well, she was one of eight undergraduates chosen to serve on the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Committee on Public Service. Phyllis demonstrated her strong leadership skills in her efforts to bring together Harvard's largest public service organization and its largest political organization. Often at odds, she convinced both groups that mutual gains could be made through cooperation.

Emily Andrus O'LoughlinHarvard Business School2003 Fitzie Award Recipient

Emily chose to attend Harvard Business School because she believes that "business is a tool that can be used to create opportunities and improvements for society". In the long-term, she hopes to use the financial and strategic skills that she is learning in her career to help lead a non-profit organization. To achieve her goals, she has often sought out leadership experiences in order to strengthen her own abilities. As an undergraduate at Stanford, she served as the Student Body President, and directed a tutoring program for disadvantaged, school-aged children in East Palo Alto. After graduating from college, she worked in investment banking, venture capital, and consulting.

In her second year at HBS, Emily volunteered at Citizen Schools, served as President of Harvard Business School Latter-Day Saints Association, and was active in the Women's Student Association. In 2003, she designed the winning logo and marketing materials for the Dynamic Women in Business Conference. She used her grant to conduct biology research at the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Marine Research Reserve in the Galapagos Islands.

Kyle Margaret BowserTenacre Country Day School2002 Fitzie Award Recipient

At Tenacre, Kyle played a number of sports and was involved in several clubs. She was a member of the Early Morning Bird Club, a bird watching group run by one of Tenacre's science teachers, as well as a school book club. She also participated in a poetry club that helped her to improve her poetry, as well as her overall writing skills. Kyle's true passion, however, is art. She was involved in an after school program in which she explored many different mediums " from paint to clay to crayons. She has recently developed an interest in painting still life, as well as the adventurous outdoors.

She has used her grant to to further her artistic endeavors.

Alexandra S. C. OhDana Hall School2002 Fitzie Award Recipient

Alex came to Dana Hall from Singapore, a move she describes as "a leap of faith into an unfamiliar world." Despite her initial struggle to adapt to life in the United States and at Dana, she persevered and eventually thrived. Alex served as the Head of South East Asia students in the International Student Association, worked as a proctor and prefect in her dormitory, and volunteered as a school tour guide. As a respected leader in the Dana community, Alex, together with a group of friends, formed an association called Juveniles Advocating Rational Knowledge (JARK). JARK uses visual media, as well as skits in order to help students deal with a range of issues from stress to all-school goals. Both students and faculty deemed the association's first movie a success.

Ceridwen DoveyHarvard College2002 Fitzie Award Recipient

Ceridwen was born in South Africa, but grew up moving back and forth between South Africa and Australia. Her family's safety was threatened as a result of her father's political involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle. Following a sabbatical in Australia in 1994, Ceridwen's parents returned to South Africa determined to continue their contributions to the country's development. Ceridwen and her sister, then ages 15 and 17 respectively, remained on their own in Sydney in order to finish high school. Upon graduation, Ceridwen followed her sister to Harvard.

At Harvard, Ceridwen was a joint concentrator in Social Anthropology and Visual and Environmental Studies (Film). She was a member of the Harvard African Students Association, as well as the leader and choreographer of the Gumboot Dancing Troupe. Her two passions, however, are filmmaking and South Africa. As a white South African, who left to further her education, Ceridwen feels a strong responsibility to portray images of South Africa in her films. In 2001, she made a film about two farming families in South Africa " one Afrikaans, one English-speaking. Her senior thesis, "Aftertaste," about a South African empowerment project in wine farms, has been submitted to several film festivals.

She used her grant in conjunction with a Trustman Traveling Fellowship from Harvard in order to make a documentary film in Cape Town.

Debra Renee McCoyHarvard Business School2002 Fitzie Award Recipient

Debbie worked as an independent consultant and as a consultant at Bain & Company in San Francisco and in South Africa, prior to attending the Harvard Business School. In her position in South Africa, Debbie worked on the restructuring of South African Airways. In addition to the challenges she faced working with the employees of the company, Debbie had to achieve her goals as a black woman in a white male dominated environment with all of the history and stereotypes that exist in South Africa. The success of the restructuring was due in no small part to Debbie's skill and hard work.

At HBS, Debbie served as the Distinguished Speaker Series Chairperson for the African American Student Union. As well, she volunteered at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School through the Junior Achievement program. Her efforts in the program were focused on conducting a computer-based business simulation with 9th-11th grade students. Debbie ultimately hopes to transfer the skills she has gained in her career and at HBS to better help people deal with the realities of poverty.

Debbie used part of her grant to take cooking lessons. A vegetarian, she was very proud to demonstrate her new-found talent for barbecuing beef. With the remainder of her grant, Debbie, who was interested in working on her music reading skills, purchased a violin and took music theory lessons.

Helen Hastings SomesTenacre Country Day School2001 Fitzie Award Recipient

As a student at Tenacre, Helen found creative writing " both fiction and poetry " particularly satisfying. In 2000, she was very proud when one of her poems was published in the Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans. Helen was also an accomplished athlete. An excellent soccer player in particular, she played on the highest ranked team for her age group. She enjoyed playing tennis as well.

Helen plans to use her grant to purchase a laptop and take a creative writing course, so that she can further pursue her love of creative writing.

Kaitlin Carroll BarryDana Hall School2001 Fitzie Award Recipient

Kaitlin Barry came to Dana by way of the Steppingstone Foundation Scholars Program. The program introduces Boston students to independent schools and prepares the students for success. At Dana, she was exposed to a community of new cultures, new ideas, and new interests. She discovered a love of community service and sat on Dana's Community Service Advisory Board. Kaitlin's most enjoyable volunteer position was at Franciscan Children's Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, where she worked with children with emotional problems and/or major physical disabilities. Over the years, Kaitlin also found that she had a talent for fencing. She qualified for her second Summer Nationals in a Division III event, as well as an Under-19 team event.

Kaitlin used a portion of her grant to attend a University of Massachusetts summer program in Salamanca, Spain.

Onyinye Ijeoma IwealaHarvard College2001 Fitzie Award Recipient

A concentrator in Biochemical Studies at Harvard, Onyi put her academic experiences to practical use. She spent two summers as a fellow at NIH, where she gained laboratory experience in molecular biology and biochemical techniques. Onyi was the recipient of a Weissman International Internship Fellowship. The internship enabled her to work for an organization in Cambodia that is active in women's health issues and in the prevention of STDs, HIV, and AIDS. Onyi helped to treat patients and to increase awareness of STD causes and methods of prevention. At Harvard, Onyi was interested in learning to speak Igbo, her parents' native tongue. When she discovered that no such class was offered, she sought out a willing professor and an interested group of students. Her efforts led to the creation of an Igbo class and, ultimately, to an increased number of African language classes available to students.

Onyi deferred the use of her grant.

Joyce Cigarroa KeckHarvard College2001 Fitzie Award Recipient

Following graduation from Harvard, and prior to attending medical school, the Fitzie grant helped support Joyce in a year of rewarding travels. She first went to Barcelona, where she partook in a teenage HIV education program, helping the organization prepare an outreach program called World AIDS Day. The project was a huge success and volunteers were able to visit over 20 schools that day alone.

While in Barcelona, Joyce also worked at a center for street children. She then decided to transfer her work to San Miguel, Mexico in order to collaborate at a midwifery center. There she met a curandera (local herbal healer) and took a class from her on plant healing. The questions and topics raised by the curandera greatly impacted the way Joyce thinks about medicine, and she believes the experience will stay with her throughout her medical career.

Of the Fitzie award, Joyce remarks, "Although I never met her, I think of Fitzie and her legacy often. I hope that I honor her memory by internalizing the experiences this year has offered. Because of Fitzie's grant, I know that one day I will be able to practice medicine as a more sensitive, compassionate, aware physician."

Theresse Kaori KawarabayashiHarvard Business School2001 Fitzie Award Recipient

Theresse was born in the United States, but spent her childhood in France, Japan, and Switzerland. As a result of her travels, she became interested in the international world and ultimately chose a career path in which she could make an impact on the global community. Fluent in English, French, and Japanese, and conversant in Spanish, Arabic, Ewe, and Hassaniya, Theresse worked overseas in several capacities prior to attending the Harvard Business School. She established non-profit English language programs in Hungary and Mexico, served for two years as the Business Development Agent for the Peace Corps in Togo, and worked as a microfinance specialist for the Government of Mauritania.

Her experiences in Africa " from living with malnourished children, to living with the threat of malaria, to aiding underprivileged entrepreneurs increase their profits and improve their livelihoods " increased Theresse's commitment to focus her career on global economic and social issues. She used her grant to research microfinance in the Middle East and West Africa. The focus of her research was on the ways in which microfinance institutions can be designed and implemented in order to have the greatest impact on reducing poverty.

Melissa Lee GrayTenacre Country Day School2000 Fitzie Award Recipient

Melissa served as a tour guide for the Admissions Office and as a member of the Student Council at Tenacre. She was involved, as well, with a group of students who put together relief packages for refugees in Kosovo. An avid reader, Melissa was a member of both the Tenacre Book Club and a Mother-Daughter book group. The Harry Potter series were a particular favorite.

While in the second grade Melissa became interested in sign language when a deaf child joined her class. She learned basic signing, so that she could communicate with her classmate. She plans to use her grant to continue her study of sign language.

Zoie Olivia WatsonDana Hall School2000 Fitzie Award Recipient

While at Dana Hall, Zoie was an active member of Mirage, the school literary magazine, as well as the Red Cross Club, a community service organization. In addition, she ran on the cross-country team and played varsity tennis and volleyball. A respected leader at Dana, Zoie was the recipient of the Senior Class Leadership Award and the Nan Coyle Citizenship Award.

Joelle Gail NoveyHarvard College2000 Fitzie Award Recipient

A joint concentrator in Social Studies and Religion, Joelle graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard. Her true passion, however, is her many community service commitments and activities. An active member of Hillel " she served as Hillel's representative to the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Racial Relations " Joelle worked hard to broaden Hillel's focus both within the Jewish community and in the community at large. Using her skills as a trained graphic designer, Joelle designed an original prayer book to be used in Harvard's houses, as well as at Hillel. Joelle was also instrumental in working to improve relations between the Society of Arab Students and Hillel. She organized both mediated and panel discussions, as well as social functions in order to create mutual understanding and respect.

Because of her community service work, as well as her academic studies, Joelle has long been interested in social programs that endeavor to humanize institutions. She is particularly intrigued by programs that provide people not only with particular services, but with relationships, as well. As a result, she used her grant to volunteer in two very different programs. She used part of her grant in order to work at The Main, an after-school care youth center for Native American children on the Cheyenne River reservation. The Main offers a nurturing and healthy environment for children who have limited access to safe and educational activities and who often face neglect and abuse. Joelle used the remainder of her grant to participate in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at NYU Medical Center. The program teaches pastoral care of patients and their families. Joelle completed a year-long chaplain residency at Washington Hospital Center in northeast Washington, DC. Outside of work, she was active on the boards of two Jewish organizations: Jews United for Justice, a local social justice group focusing on DC-area issues, and the National Havurah Committee.

Leslie R. CrutchfieldHarvard Business School2000 Fitzie Award Recipient

After graduating from college, Leslie co-founded and became editor of the magazine Who Cares: The Toolkit for Social Change. Who Cares is a non-profit publication that is geared toward the directors of small to medium-sized non-profit organizations and toward business leaders involved in philanthropy. Leslie and her colleagues took the idea of creating an organization to help people create, manage, and grow non-profits and turned it into a national magazine. Today, Who Cares reaches approximately 50,000 community based leaders across the United States. At the Harvard Business School, Leslie worked on the Harbus as the News and Features Editor, and as a Harbus Foundation grant reader. As a member of HBS' BizWorld volunteer program, Leslie taught entrepreneurship to inner city youths at Citizen Schools in Roxbury. Leslie continues to apply the management skills and leadership practices she learned at Harvard to entrepreneurship in the social sector.

Upon graduating from the Harvard Business School she worked with a team of HBS students and professors at City Year Boston. The group developed a business plan for an Action Tank for social entrepreneurs. More recently, Leslie served as the Director of the U.S./Canada Program for Ashoka, an organization that provides fellowships to social entrepreneurs worldwide. Leslie used a portion of her grant to travel throughout Europe, which she describes as a "truly amazing and thought-provoking experience, and one that would not have been possible without the Fitzie Foundation."

Tracey BattenHarvard Business School2000 Fitzie Award Recipient

Tracey received her medical degree from the University of Melbourne (Australia). Upon completion of her residency, as well as a Master's Degree in Health Administration, Tracey pursued a career in health management. Before entering the Harvard Business School in January 2000, Tracey was the Chief of Health Programs for the Inner and Eastern Health Care Network in Melbourne, Australia. Tracey aspired to combine her experience as a clinician with the skills she learned at HBS in order to better her career in health management. Ultimately, she aspired to play a role in reshaping the health care system in Australia.

Tracey returned to Australia to assume the position of CEO of Dental Health Services, Victoria. This is an $80 million organization that provides public dental services to the eligible population of Victoria through the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and the School Dental Service. The organization's other main role is in oral health promotion and advocacy of preventive strategies. She has deferred the use of her grant, but plans to use the funds for a study of the health care systems of Europe.

Katherine Olivia MaloneyDana Hall School1999 Fitzie Award Recipient

At the age of twelve, Olivia lived in a homeless shelter. In the year that she spent in the shelter, her sole goal was to maintain her grades so that she could attend boarding school. She achieved that goal when she was accepted to Dana Hall, where she took full advantage of the opportunities presented to her. Her experiences in the shelter shaped her values and gave her an indomitable determination to succeed.

Ilyana Maria KuziemkoHarvard College1999 Fitzie Award Recipient

As an economics concentrator at Harvard, Ilyana applies the tools of economics to find solutions to problems facing cities. During a summer internship at the FBI, Ilyana developed a tracking system for FBI drug cases. The system, which enables FBI managers to review trends and to make long-range decisions about resource allocation, is still in use today.

Ilyana was awarded a Rhodes scholarship in 1999. While at Oxford, she used part of her Fitzie grant to explore a long-held interest in World War II. She traveled through France, Belgium, and France. Her route traced many of the important sites of the war " Normandy, Dunkirk, and Bergen-Belsen among others. Ilyana's journey was both academic and personal. Her final stop was the town of Wildflecken where her father was born following her grandparents' release from a Nazi Labor Camp. Ilyana plans to use the remainder of her grant to travel to Africa.

Brooke Mackenzie EllisonHarvard College1999 Fitzie Award Recipient

While at Harvard, Brooke studied Cognitive Neuroscience as her concentration. She was on the Dean's List and was awarded a Harvard College Scholarship and an Elizabeth Cary Agassiz Certificate of Merit. Brooke's accomplishments are all the more impressive given the unique circumstances of her life at Harvard. Brooke is the first person with quadriplegia to attend Harvard, and one of very few quadriplegics in the United States to attend college at all. In order to attend Harvard, Brooke's mother moved to Cambridge to serve as Brooke's primary caregiver and note taker.

In her application to the Foundation, Brooke wrote, "I have, in effect, lived two lives. For the first eleven years of my existence, I lived a very active life. I played little league baseball and junior league soccer. I was a dancer. I played the cello and sang in the church junior choir. I studied Karate. All of the things that I loved and all of the things that I did, in my mind, shaped me a"s a person and established my identity. My first life ended when I was struck by an automobile on the first day of school in the seventh grade.

"Since that time, I have been paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a respirator for life support. Since my accident, I have been trying to overcome the obstacles that have been placed before me. The goals that I set have not been just for myself, but rather an attempt to serve a broader purpose. I want all people who face challenge and adversity to know that they can realize their dreams. If, through my own efforts to succeed, I can positively affect the life of just one person, my new life will have a deeper meaning."

Brooke used a portion of her grant from the Fitzie Foundation to fund research for her senior thesis. She used the remainder of her grant to purchase a computer. Brooke considers her recognition by the Fitzie Foundation to be one of the highlights of her college career at Harvard. Brooke and her mother published a book, "Miracles Happen", about their experiences since Brooke's accident. The movie version of their book, directed by the late Christopher Reeve, premiered in 2004.

Sheila Lirio MarceloHarvard Business School1999 Fitzie Award Recipient

Sheila Marcelo pursued a joint JD/MBA degree at Harvard. Apart from her demanding school schedule, Sheila focused on teaching computer classes at her son's school and on learning about her Filipina heritage. Inspired by the difficulties her parents faced as Filipino immigrants, Sheila has worked to educate herself and others about the Philippines. As an undergraduate at Mount Holyoke, she cofounded Liga Filipina and the Five College Asian Students Association Board. At the Harvard Business School, she led an initiative to raise funds for the first HBS-Asian Business Club trip to the Philippines. Her travels to the Philippines provided an education in the challenges facing politicians and businessmen alike as the country attempts to shift to democratic rule.

Sheila used her grant to purchase a piano. She and her husband Ron have two sons, Ryan and Adam, both of whom play string instruments. Sheila is eager to play music with them. She writes, "Learning and education continue to be an important part of our lives and I've continued to pursue my career in the educational arena."

Kimberly K. PhillipsHarvard Business School1999 Fitzie Award Recipient

In her first year at McKinsey in New York, Kim Phillips was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She became an active member of the National MS Society in New York, and later in Seattle. Kim co-founded the Seattle chapter's Women Against MS event, which raised $30,000 in its first year. At the Harvard Business School, Kim continued her fund-raising efforts for MS research. As well, she was involved with the Women's Student Association (WSA). In 1999, she was chosen to o-chair the WSA's Annual Conference, which focused on Women Enriching Business.

To support both her professional career and her ongoing involvement as a fundraiser for MS research, Kim used her grant to develop her writing and public speaking with a professional coach. Kim became active in the Channel Islands chapter of the National MS Society and was instrumental in developing the chapter's Women Against MS series. She had the opportunity to test her public speaking skills at the chapter's inaugural Women Against MS series, where she received high praise. She writes, "My Fitzie Award not only supported my public speaking efforts on behalf of the National MS Society, but also my hidden desire to be a published author."

Margaret Bailey Wu CarrollTenacre Country Day School1999 Fitzie Award Recipient

At Tenacre, Bailey participated in Student Council and played a number of sports. Outside of school she took piano lessons, and attended Chinese school and trained as a gymnast. She began taking gymnastics lessons at the age of three, and has progressed rapidly since that time. In May of 2000, she competed at the Level 8 Regionals, where she placed seventh on the uneven bars and ninth on the balance beam. Bailey's accomplishments are particularly impressive given that it was her first year as a Level 8 gymnast.

Bailey used her grant to purchase a new piano and to attend the U.S Gymnastics Training Center camp at Mount Holyoke College.

Sarah Gabriel CantinTenacre Country Day School1998 Fitzie Award Recipient

An excellent student and ballet dancer, Sarah approaches life with the motto, "if you don't like something change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it." Her optimistic character and positive presumption that "each day will be exciting and interesting," helped her to cope with her mother's breast cancer.

Sarah Abbott HastingsDana Hall School1998 Fitzie Award Recipient

A varsity soccer and lacrosse player at Dana, Sarah became an avid ice-hockey player when the sport was added in her sophomore year. She was elected co-captain of the ice-hockey team and, in only her second year of play, she was selected to play in the Eastern Independent League All-Star game. In her senior year, Sarah was chosen to be co-editor of Mirage, the school literary magazine. She is particularly passionate about creative writing because it provides an avenue for self expression, a way to gather her thoughts when excited or upset.

Of the Fitzie Foundation award Sarah writes, "I think that this award almost transfers the love and energy that Fitzie had into another young woman. This energy carried by the recipient in memory of Fitzie will be remembered as she discovers and excels in the activities that Fitzie never got to pursue."

Sarah used her grant for a Native American retreat with The School with Lost Borders in Colorado and to purchase a violin.

Candice Lakshmi HoyesHarvard College1998 Fitzie Award Recipient

A concentrator in Sociology at Harvard, Candice's fields of interest were racial and women's studies in contemporary youth culture. Her studies focused on the violent and misogynist themes portrayed by black artists, in particular in the music industry. Of particular concern to Candice was the glorification of the gangster element in the young black community and its consequences for young women. Putting her studies into practice, she organized a conference on hip-hop music at Harvard. The meeting of musicians and industry executives focused on feminism and on creating music that incites positive actions rather than violence. Candice hopes that her work will begin to change the way in which black women are portrayed in popular music.

Lisa Lauren FrankenbergHarvard Business School1997 Fitzie Award Recipient

While backpacking through Europe after college, Lisa Frankenberg stopped in Prague to visit some friends. She stayed on as one of the co-founders of Czechoslovakia's first English language newspaper, Prognosis. In 1991, she left Prognosis to co-found The Prague Post, a business-oriented weekly newspaper. Printed in English, the paper has a worldwide circulation and a readership of 40,000. Lisa hopes that in establishing The Prague Post, she and her colleagues have in some small way impacted the level of foreign investment and the growth of the English-language community in the Czech Republic.

While in Prague, Lisa worked with a group of expatriate and Czech Jews to revive the Jewish community of Prague. In 1994, a corps of volunteers including Lisa, restored a synagogue that had not been used since 1939. Funding was arranged to bring a rabbi from England. For the first time in fifty years, High Holiday services were conducted in the Vysoka Synagogue. Based on the success of their initial efforts, the group went on to form Bejt Praha " The Open Prague Jewish Community " a civic association that organizes various programs for the Jewish community of Prague.

After graduating from the Harvard Business School, Lisa worked at Anderson Consulting and at Dow Jones & Company. She continues to maintain an interest in The Prague Post, which, she is proud to report, celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2005. Of special interest to Lisa is portraiture of children and the elderly in developing nations. She used her grant for a photography course at the International Center of Photography in New York.

Jennifer Dean MoorTenacre Country Day School1997 Fitzie Award Recipient

At Tenacre, Jennifer served on the Student Council and enjoyed acting and singing in school performances. In her free time, Jennifer loves to dance. She has taken dance lessons since she was three years old, and is active in jazz, tap, and ballet. Because of her love for the performing arts, Jennifer used her grant to further her study of dance, as well as to take voice lessons at the Dana Hall School of Music.

Upon receiving the award, Jennifer remarked, "To know that I could be like this remarkable woman is an amazing feeling. She made so many meaningful contributions in her short lifetime; hopefully I, as well as others, can be inspired to do the same."

Tai Tatjana CasagrandeDana Hall School1997 Fitzie Award Recipient

An honors student at Dana Hall, a capable leader, and an accomplished fencer, Tai is best characterized by her genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for all that she undertakes.

At Dana, she served as Junior Class President, sat on the Diversity Committee, and worked as a staff member for the school newspaper. As a member of the varsity fencing team, she qualified for the Junior Olympics in the 17 and under category. Based upon her excellent performance at the Junior Olympics, Tai qualified for Fencing Nationals in the foil division.

Tai is truly passionate about the sciences and about animals. She has worked at the Buddy Dog Humane Society and as a radiology technician at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston. Tai used her grant to travel to Australia to learn more about the wildlife of the country.

Claire Patricia PrestelHarvard College1997 Fitzie Award Recipient

A joint concentrator in Social Studies and Women's Studies, Claire put her academic experience to practical use while at Harvard. She served as a peer counselor for Response, a campus group dealing with issues of rape, incest, and relationship abuse, and as co-chair of the Domestic Crisis Outreach Center at Phillips Brooks House. Outside of Harvard, she was the director of an eight-week summer camp for youth who are considered at-risk of becoming involved with the law.

Claire deferred her admission to Harvard Law School to participate in the World Teach China Program. Following five weeks of training, the program sends U.S. volunteers to Yantai, China where they are responsible for sharing teaching and English skills with Chinese teachers. "With the help of the Foundation, I was able to live in China for six months " teaching and traveling " something that would not have been possible otherwise. China was fascinating and my students were wonderful."

Ling ChaiHarvard Business School1997 Fitzie Award Recipient

As chief commander of the Tiananmen Square Committee, Ling Chai was one of the leaders of the student demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in June of 1989. Following the government crackdown on the protestors, Ling went into hiding. She and her husband eluded Chinese officials for ten months. Escape finally came via a five-day sea voyage to Hong Kong. Ling and her husband hid in a small crate that was nailed shut and placed in the cargo hold of a ship. In honor of her role in the democracy movement in China, Ling was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1989 and 1990. She immigrated to France and then to the United States.

Upon her arrival in the U.S., Ling pursued a Masters Degree in Public Affairs at Princeton. There, she was active in designing and influencing U.S. foreign policy toward China. Ling worked as a consultant at Bain before entering Harvard Business School. After graduating from Harvard Business School, she founded Jenzabar, an information technology company.

Heidi Elizabeth DeringerHarvard Business School1996 Fitzie Award Recipient

Prior to attending the Harvard Business School, Heidi worked for three years as a consultant at Bain & Company. While at Bain, Heidi volunteered her consulting skills to the Thomas A. Edison Middle School in Boston. Serving as the facilitator to the Reading Committee, she helped to shape the committee's goals, action plan, and methods of reading instruction assessment. As a result of Heidi's efforts, the school realized its goal of improving reading instruction and academic achievement. The program served as a model that other schools became eager to replicate as well.

Heidi used her grant to travel through Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Her travels included visits with a minority family in Thailand that had fled the drug trade in Burma, as well as conversations with a Vietnamese guide who spent two years in a labor camp to atone for his father's service to the Americans during the Vietnam War. Of her trip, Heidi writes, "Spending time in these countries proved an impetus to learn about the countries' arts, history, and current events. However, my most lasting memories of the trip have not come from learning about Asian culture or history, but rather from learning more about the resiliency and optimism of human character. I feel that I had a unique experience " full of challenges, learning, and merriment. Thank you for the honor and the experience."

Caitlin SullivanTenacre Country Day School1996 Fitzie Award Recipient

Although academics were her top priority at Tenacre, Caitlin was also an accomplished athlete. She enjoyed swimming, tennis, and golf on a competitive basis because of the different ways each sport challenged her. In taking piano lessons, however, she found "a different perspective and a way to relax."

Caitlin chose to use her grant from the Foundation to pursue her love of music. She took a Preparatory Theory Program at the New England Conservatory of Music Extension Division. The class focused on sight and rhythm reading, singing, and the integration of ear training with theoretical concepts. Caitlin used the remainder of her grant to purchase eight keyboards for the Children's Hospital Child Life Centers. She felt that "a donation of this kind would enable me to share my love of music with other children who might not have been able to experience the joy" of musical expression.

Annie Frances KirbyDana Hall School1996 Fitzie Award Recipient

In her application to the Foundation, Annie remarked that her "favorite activities involve risk and energy. The nervous heartbeat before I open my mouth and French words and struggling French grammar tumble out"the high-energy hush"before I walk on stage that catalyzes my performance"the moment of indecision when, paintbrush in hand, I wonder will orange or red best fill this spot on the canvas." Her career at Dana holds true to her words. While there, she was one of five student representatives to the school's Strategic Planning Committee, a committee that meets every ten years to help chart Dana Hall's future. She also played a number of sports, acted in a variety of theatrical productions, and competed in and won the school's Shakespeare competition.

She used her grant to travel to England, as well as for a Spanish language and volunteer program in Guatemala, prior to attending Brown University.

Allyson Vanessa HobbsHarvard College1996 Fitzie Award Recipient

At Harvard, Allyson concentrated in Social Studies and was involved in a broad range of activities. She was a Housing and Neighborhood Development Coordinator and a prefect for first-year students. When she realized that there was no campus publication that addressed the political issues of African-Americans, she " together with a group of friends " founded the Harvard Black Register. The first issue was published in 1995. In her senior year, Allyson was elected by her class to serve as the First Class Marshal. In her application to the Foundation, Allyson expressed her hope to "" be able to touch lives like Fitzie, to always recognize the value of learning from the opinions of others, the importance of maintaining balance and accepting setbacks, and the wonder of spontaneous laughter and a contagious smile."

Allyson deferred her grant until 1999, when she used it to travel to Costa Rica and Guatemala. After two weeks of Spanish immersion in Costa Rica and in Guatemala, she participated in a community service project in the mountainous region of Guatemala, the Ixil Triangle. The Ixil Triangle was devastated by the Guatemalan civil war. She worked with a Foundation which partners with local villages and helps farmers to buy back land, cultivate farms and build schools. There, Allyson helped to build a school. She recently wrote, "After reading about Fitzie's life when I was a junior in college, I have strived to live my own life with the same joy, enthusiasm and passion that she exuded. She is truly an incredible role model."

Jill Leslie WilliamsHarvard Business School1995 Fitzie Award Recipient

After graduating from Duke University in 1988, Jill Williams worked as a professional actress in New York City. She performed in three off-Broadway productions, as well as in a number of regional and summer stock productions, television programs and a film. After three years of acting, she turned her talents to the non-profit sector. As the Director of Economic Development for Common Ground Community HDFC, Inc., Jill created and supervised economic development and job training initiatives. In 1991, Common Ground converted the former Times Square Hotel to permanent housing for low-income working people and for formerly homeless people. In an effort to raise funds for future economic development and to provide employment for the hotel's tenants, Jill convinced Ben & Jerry's to donate a franchise to the project. As a result, the economic development program is reaping substantial profits and providing consistent employment and training to a dozen formerly homeless employees.

While at HBS, Jill served as President of the Non-Profit/Public Enterprise Club and was the lead member of the HBS volunteer consulting team for Project Bread. She used her grant to take an intensive German language program at the Goethe Institute in Berlin. While in Berlin, Jill wrote, "My time here has thus far been an exceptional experience from many perspectives. The language program is excellent and the accompanying cultural program is providing a wide range of exposure to the issues and challenges facing the city. I have had the opportunity to discuss the political, social, and economic climate with quite a diverse mix of Germans, who have weathered the reunification. I continue to be fascinated by the issues surrounding the transition, and am enjoying this firsthand chance to observe and debate them. My understanding of German, and global, relationships, culture, politics, economics, and business is increasing rapidly, as are my language skills."

Alissa Jane RomanowTenacre Country Day School1995 Fitzie Award Recipient

Admittedly a perfectionist, Alissa worked hard and excelled academically at Tenacre. Reading and writing were among her favorite subjects because of her love of words. She found particular enjoyment in challenging herself to "find as many fancy words as possible" to use in her descriptive writing. Outside of Tenacre, Alissa was involved in a theater extension group, learned Kenpo Karate, and played on a traveling soccer team. The theater group developed her skills as a playwright and as an actress. In karate, she practiced defensive techniques, perfected Martial Arts routines, and learned the importance of discipline and self-respect. Alissa considers karate to be one of her more interesting talents, for despite her size and gender, she believes herself to be as physically capable at karate as others her age.

Alissa used the grant to travel in Europe after she graduated from high school. Of her grant, she writes, "A great deal has changed since I received the award at [age] eleven, but my passion for language remains the same. The award, most importantly, was an external affirmation that led me to examine the lack of affirmation I allowed myself internally. I was enormously taken with the notion that I could be myself with people and be acknowledged as someone capable of great things. The Fitzie Foundation, along with several other things over the course of my life, inspired me to live out loud because someone, surprisingly, would be listening."

Carley Elise GoodnoeDana Hall School1995 Fitzie Award Recipient

At Dana Hall, Carley set high goals for herself both academically and athletically. She achieved high honors in the class room, held the position of co-editor of the sports section of the school newspaper, played on the field hockey, lacrosse and fencing teams, and managed to make time for horseback riding as well. Carley approached all of her endeavors with devotion and determination, as well as with a sense of humor. She constantly strove to seek a balance between attaining her goals and finding enjoyment in the world around her. In her application to the Foundation she commented on her belief "that it is necessary to pursue happiness in life just as much as it is [necessary] to pursue success."

For Carley, horseback riding was a source of exhilaration and escape. She rode not only for the athletic challenge, but also for "the peace of mind, contentment, and companionship of such a fascinating and honest animal." She used her grant for training with expert riding instructors and horses.

Margaret Catherine BoyerHarvard College1995 Fitzie Award Recipient

Margaret Boyer graduated from Harvard in 1996 with a degree in History and Literature. Academics comprised an important part of her college experience. She studied independently with a professor on education in the Renaissance, while conducting a one-on-one tutorial with a professor on Spanish literature and culture. While at Harvard she was a tutor for ESL, served as the Secretary of the Lowell House Committee, and was a news editor and writer for the Harvard Crimson. Athletic pursuits also helped define Margaret's life at Harvard. She earned a place on the Harvard women's crew team, in spite of the distinct disadvantage of being the shortest and smallest person to try out. In honor of her feisty, determined nature, her boat mates nicknamed her "Scrappy." She proved herself worthy of the title when she broke the six-year old record for the Radcliffe Crew triathlon.

Margaret used her grant to purchase a specialized racing bike. In her first triathlon, she finished second in her age group " a race that she "enthusiastically and gratefully dedicates to the spirit of Fitzie and the Fitzie Foundation, which has made all of this possible." She used the remainder of her grant for winter sports equipment to be used while pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Vermont.