Robin Lee Michel,
The Plainville Citizen
Tuesday, July 22,
2008 - 11:02am
Even small gestures
can make a huge difference in bettering the lives of others as demonstrated at
the first Be the Change Community Service Awards
presented June 3 to
The awards were
conceived by the Plainville High School Class of 1974 and the Petit Family
Foundation in memory of Jennifer Lynn Hawke-Petit, Hayley E. Petit and Michaela
R. Petit, wife and children of Dr. William A. Petit Jr., a member of the Class
of 1974. The three women, who died tragically in July 2007, were very active in
their community by supporting many activities at their church, raising money for
health organizations, and supporting family, friends and colleagues in times of
emotional need. The awards were designed to acknowledge those who exhibited the
kindness, idealism and activism that defined the Petit
women's lives. The intent was to foster the education of young people,
especially women in the sciences, to improve the lives of those affected by
chronic illness, and to support efforts and help those affected by
violence.
Honored at the first
Be the Change Awards ceremony were PHS students Ryan
Pelletier and Annalicia Huey. Pelletier, volunteered as a tutor beginning while
he was a student at the
"Ryan reminds me of
Hayley; she was a quiet leader and respected by all. She helped many and tried
to stay out of the limelight," said Dr. William A. Petit Jr. in remarks during
the ceremony.
Second prize winner
was Annalicia Huey, a sophomore who has been a friend and supporter of Rhianna
Logan, a young
"Anna reminds me of
KK (Michaela). After she died, several of her teachers made special efforts to
speak with me to tell me that KK always went out of her way to allow all in the
class to participate and how she stood up for the underdog when other children
were harassing or teasing another child," Dr. Petit said during the
ceremony.
Pelletier received a $1,000 award plus a $500 charitable
contribution, which he directed to Hayley's Hope & Michaela's Miracle Fund
at the National MS Society of
Scholarship
recipients were Nicholas Edgerton, Elizabeth Sisson and Sarah
Tanner.
Nicholas Edgerton, the son of Andrew and Cynthia Edgerton, is an avid
golfer. He is captain of the varsity golf team, a member of the varsity
cross-country team, a member of the National and Spanish honor societies,
volunteered with Greater Hartford Jaycees and participated in the PARC walkathon
and Rotary Club golf tournament. When a young boy, he was moved by his
grandmother's battle with cancer and decided that he would study medicine, a
goal toward which he will take the first step this fall when he attends
Springfield College where he will major in biology.
Elizabeth Sisson,
daughter of Margaret Mead and Donald Sisson, is a very active volunteer with
numerous organizations including the
Sarah Tanner,
daughter of Robert and Linda Tanner, has served as class vice president for four
years, was president of the Italian Exchange Club, treasurer of DECA and a
member many clubs. As a junior and senior, she was the student liaison to the
school board and representative on the United Way Youth Forum. She was honored
with the Connecticut Association of Superintendents Award of Excellence. She has
volunteered with numerous organizations such as Toys for Tots, the United Way
Reckless Driving Forum and "Shining Peace Upon the
Petits." She will attend
The team award was a
tie between the CANstruction team and bicycle restoration project. Each team
received a $500 award to be directed to a charity of its choice.
The
CANstruction team was comprised of PHS students that created a structured design
out of cans of food, which was then donated to local food pantries. Their design
took second place in the competition. The bicycle restoration project was
conducted by three
Other nominees -
Eddie Cochran, Whitley Dozier, Christine Dube, Allison Petit and Nicole Zaza -
were also honored.
"I hope that you all
will continue your service to the community and encourage others to do as well,"
Dr. Petit said. "All these students and their mentors demonstrate what Gandhi
spoke of, ‘You must be the change you wish to see in
the world.' I would change this slightly and note that these have been the
change we all wish to see in our world. Thank you for honoring Jennifer, Hayley
and Michaela with these awards...They all died too soon and the world will miss
their potential contributions. I hope you students will contribute more with
each passing year," Dr. Petit said.
A story about the
CANstruction competition and the bicycle restoration project will be in the July
31 issue of The Citizen.
http://plainville.ctcitizens.com/story/039be-change039-makes-difference