August 11, 2008, Portsmouth, NH – Attorney David Wolowitz of the law firm of McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, recently presented five area high school students with the coveted Harvard Prize Book Award on behalf of the Harvard-Radcliffe Club of New Hampshire.
The Prize Book is awarded to an outstanding student in the junior class who combines excellence in scholarship, high character, and achievement in other fields. Students are nominated by their school’s administration during their junior year.
This year’s Seacoast area winners are upcoming seniors Rachel Schmidt of Oyster River High School; Mollie Pettigrew of Dover High School; Jillian Price of Exeter High School; Noah Glennon of Portsmouth High School; and Aleta Johnson of Nute High School. Each of the students received a copy of the book entitled, Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds.
About the Students:
Rachel Schmidt of Oyster River High School is a member of the National Honor Society, and a member of the French Honor Society, having studied abroad in France for one semester, and having ranked nationally on the National French Exam. She tutors in Math at the middle school, and has been the recipient of her school�s Outstanding Math Award for three consecutive years. She competes in crew with the Great Bay Rowing Club and is a member of her school�s swim team. Rachel volunteers for the Special Olympics and National Cancer Society and works as a teaching assistant at the religious school for her temple. This summer, she is studying German at the Advanced Studies Program at St. Paul’s School in Concord.
Mollie Pettigrew of Dover High School is a member of the National Honor Society, as well as the Latin Club and Knitting Club. During this past semester, she held an internship at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in the Transport Department. At the end of the school year, Mollie received the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award from the University of Rochester, the New Hampshire Association of World Language Teachers State Award, and the United States Achievement Academy International Foreign Language Award. She was also accepted into the National Society of High School Scholars. For fun, Mollie takes piano lessons and travels, and is an avid reader.
Jillian Price of Exeter High School is a member of the National Honor Society, and is involved in the school’s art club, and drama department. Over the summers, Rachel crochets and knits afghans for local charities. Highly interested in history, Rachel won first place for Oyster River in this year�s Exeter Historical Society’s essay contest for her entry on "Exeter’s Contribution to the Wider World."
Noah J. Glennon of Portsmouth High School is studying Artificial Intelligence this summer at the St. Paul’s School Advanced Studies Program. Noah is an Eagle Scout active in BSA Troop 158, and a member of the National Eagle Scout Association. He is a member of the Portsmouth High School Percussion Ensemble, which won a silver medal in world competition. He also is a gold-medal winning trombonist and member of the Portsmouth High School Clipper Marching Band, the Concert Band, the Jazz Ensemble, and the Brass Ensemble. He has won multiple awards for academic excellence and is a member of the National Honor Society, for which he is a math tutor. He recently was presented with the Rensselaer Medal Award for achievement in mathematics and science. For his community service work, which included a two-year project to renovate a community Parish House, he has been honored with a Distinguished Citizen Award from the Marine Corps League, a Certificate of Recognition from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States for outstanding achievement and exceptional leadership ability, a United States Army Youth Certificate of Recognition, a Good Citizenship Citation from The American Legion, and a Commendation from the Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire. He has also volunteered as a Counselor-in-Training at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye.
Aleta Johnson attends Nute High School, and is actively involved as a Student Council officer, class officer, and yearbook editor. She participates in the National Youth Leadership Conference, Project Search and Youth Venture. She is a member of the National Honor Society, and is a member of the volleyball team, serving as team captain for two years. She is also involved in cheerleading, the Jazz and Concert Band and the Business Club. Aleta is a volunteer for the New Hampshire Lakes Association, and is currently employed at the Milton Town Beach. She plans to continue her education in the field of physical therapy.
About the Award:
The national Harvard Prize Book Award program encourages Harvard alumni to conduct outreach to their local schools, to give students who may consider applying to Harvard a local contact and role model.
David Wolowitz, a Director at the McLane Law Firm’s Portsmouth Office, was the first to introduce the program to Seacoast schools, where he has been honoring students for more than twenty years. More than 60 New Hampshire schools have had students honored with the award.
"The young men and women who are chosen each year are well-rounded and serve as a positive role model in the community and with their peers," comments David Wolowitz. "Each year, they never cease to impress me with their level of maturity and energy."
Rolf Goodwin, a fellow Director at McLane’s Manchester office and Harvard alumnus added, "Through this program we are interested in encouraging New Hampshire students to apply to Harvard. Many students are not aware of Harvard’s generous financial aid programs."
Comprehensive information about Harvard admissions and financial aid may be found at http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu. The College website may be found at http://www.college.harvard.edu.
About the McLane Law Firm
Founded in 1919, McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, Professional Association is the largest full-service law firm in the state of New Hampshire, with offices in Manchester, Concord and Portsmouth, New Hampshire as well as Woburn, Massachusetts. Driven by the firm’s depth of sophisticated legal expertise and an unwavering commitment to client service, McLane has built collaborative and lasting relationships with a broad spectrum of domestic and international clients. www.mclane.com