Over the weekend, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) and the Fisher Cats Foundation awarded their 2016 Scholar-Athlete scholarships.
Ten graduates from New Hampshire and two from Massachusetts high schools earned $2,500 scholarships based on their athletic and academic achievements in high school, and were celebrated at the ballpark on Saturday, July 9.
“These students have had excellent careers in high school, and we wish them well as they embark on their college careers,” said Art Solomon, Fisher Cats owner and chairman of the Fisher Cats Foundation board. “They’ve excelled both in school and on the sports fields, and each has displayed a commitment to making their communities better places to live. We are proud to recognize them at the ballpark tonight.”
The scholarship recipients were selected based upon criteria of academic excellence, athletic achievement, and active citizenship in the community. Money for the scholarships was raised through several Foundation endeavors, most notably the Granite State Baseball Dinner held annually in November.
The Foundation presented three special scholarships among the twelve – the Swymer Family Scholarship, offered annually to a student who has overcome a barrier and gone on to college; the Chris Carpenter Scholarship, named in honor of New Hampshire native and National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter; and the Easter Seals Veterans Count Scholarship, presented to a New Hampshire graduate whose parent or guardian is an active, reserve, or veteran member of the United States Military.
A full list of the winners honored at the ballpark is below.
Thomas Regan (Manchester Central / Bowdoin): Regan is receiving the Chris Carpenter scholarship, given to a student who is recognized as being the top candidate among all of the Fisher Cats Foundation Scholar-Athlete Scholarship winners. Regan was the valedictorian in his class of 403, earning a 4.0 GPA and recognition as a New Hampshire STEM scholar. He has received a variety of awards for his outstanding academic and athletic achievement, including the Joe Yukica Scholar-Athlete Award, a Dartmouth Book Award, and a Bausch and Lomb Science Award. Regan demonstrated his athletic ability as a member of the football and track teams at Manchester Central, as well as holding the position of Class President and Editor-in-Chief of The Little Green. He will further his academic career at Bowdoin College, where he will pursue a major in biochemistry.
Ryan Guenette (King Philip Regional High School, Wrentham, MA / University of Virginia): Ryan is receiving this scholarship due to his impressive achievements at King Phillip Regional High School. Guenette played both soccer and baseball, the latter of which he was recognized as MVP his freshman year. He is also a member of the National Honor Society and the LEO club. Ryan was a finalist at the Orlando International Career Development Conference and is a lead investor in Instavest, where he publishes top ideas. After graduating as the number one student and valedictorian in his class of 360, he will attend the University of Virginia where he will pursue a major in finance.
Alexa Marquis (Essex Technical HS, Hathorne, MA / University of New England): Marquis is receiving this scholarship in recognition of her achievement at Essex Technical High School. Alexa served as a captain on both the cross-country and winter track teams, and won a leadership award on both teams as well. She is also a member of the National Technical Honor Society and a student mentor at her school. Alexa has also showed her commitment to community service through her participation in the Cystic Fibrosis Fundraiser Walk. She will continue her academic journey at the University of New England, where she plans to study environmental science.
Marena Neggers (Inter-Lakes High School / Boston University): Neggers is receiving the Easter Seals Veterans Count Award given to a student who comes from a military family. Neggers was a member of Inter-Lakes High School’s volleyball, tennis, and Nordic skiing teams, and graduated first in her class with a 4.0 GPA. She was also a member of several clubs at the school and served as student council vice president. In the future, Marena hopes to become a Navy surgeon, as her father served in the Navy for 12 years before she was born and she has been inspired by stories about his time there. She looks to follow in her family’s footsteps of serving in the armed forces after attending Boston University as a biology major.
Cassandra Maggiore (Winnacunnett High School / Tufts University): Maggiore is receiving the scholarship as a testament to her academic and athletic achievement throughout her high school career. She spent four years on the basketball and softball teams, the latter of which she was the captain her senior year. Cassandra is graduating third in her class of 275 after achieving a 3.97 GPA and acting as a member of the Interact Club, the Spanish Club, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She will continue her academic career at Tufts University as an engineering major in the future.
Sierra Blondeau (Goffstown HS / Rensselear Polytechnic Institute): Blondeau is receiving the Fisher Cats Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award as recognition of her achievements at Goffstown High School. She has been very successful throughout her high school years in both soccer and track. During her years on the soccer team, she was a three-time Sportsmanship Award winner. As a member of the track team, Sierra won three Coach’s Awards and an MVP award. She also served as Student Council Secretary and Chair of the Community Service Committee. In the fall, she will attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she will major in biomedical engineering.
Cameron Cain (Salem High School / University of Michigan): Cain is receiving this scholarship in recognition of his achievements during his time at Salem High School. He was a member of the school’s indoor and outdoor track teams as well as the cross-country team. He won a Coach’s Award for his achievement in cross-country his senior year, and participated in the marching band during all four of his high school years. Cameron has also been a volunteer with the Special Olympics for six years, and has previously acted as a volunteer at the Salem Elementary Fun Run. He looks forward to continuing his academic career at the University of Michigan, where he will major in statistics. Eventually, Cameron would like to combine his two passions of math and baseball and become a sabermetrician.
Chad Eaton (Merrimack Valley HS / Clemson University): Eaton is receiving the Swymer Family Award, given to a student who has overcome hardship in order to excel in academics and athletics. During his time at Merrimack Valley, Eaton served as Class Treasurer while playing on both the soccer and the baseball teams. Chad’s work ethic and generosity can also be seen through his volunteer work with the Capital Region Food Program, the Senior Living Well Alliance 5K Race, and his local Little League baseball organization. He graduated third in his class of 169 having achieved a 4.0 GPA, and has also been recognized as a New Hampshire STEM scholar and a member of the National Honor Society. In the fall, Chad will continue his academic career as the first member of his family to attend college, where he intends to major in biomedical engineering.
Emily Erin Proctor (Concord High School / Worcester Polytechnic Institute): Proctor is receiving the Fisher Cats’ Foundation Scholarship in recognition of her achievements throughout her high school career. Emily served as a captain to the soccer team during her senior year after playing one year on the JV team and two years on the varsity team. She was also a member of the Concord High School Orchestra, the German Club, and the Pats Peak Ski Program. In addition to her busy schedule, she also acted as a tutor at the Beaver Meadow Elementary School for their Title One program. In the fall, she will attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she hopes to pursue a major in chemistry.
Hannah Nelson (John Stark Regional HS / University of Connecticut): Nelson is receiving this scholarship in recognition of her achievements at John Stark Regional High School. Hannah served as a captain to her school’s basketball, volleyball, and track teams. Additionally, she won a Coach’s Award in all three of these sports and was a member of both the National Honor Society and the Latin Honor Society. Her dedication to athletics is something she hopes to continue pursuing with a major in sports journalism. She has always wanted to be in the sports field, and hopes to do so following her education at the University of Connecticut.
Hayden Stagnone (Campbell High School / Assumption College): Stagnone is receiving the scholarship in recognition of his hard work as a scholar and an athlete at Campbell High. Hayden served as a captain of the school’s soccer team after having participated as part of both the basketball and track teams. On the soccer team, he won MVP in 2014 and made all-state selection teams in both 2014 and 2015. Hayden was also a member of the school’s student council, the National Honor Society, and the New Hampshire Scholars. He will attend Assumption College with an interest in pursuing a major in biology.
Eric Dubois (Moultonborough Academy / Brown University): Dubois is receiving this scholarship as recognition of his success throughout high school. He was a member of the soccer, Nordic skiing, basketball, and track teams during his time at Moultonborough High. He was also a member of several clubs, including Model UN and the Latin Club, and served as the Student Council President during his senior year. His passion for athletics shows through his volunteer work as an assistant coach to local soccer, track, and basketball teams. He will pursue a major in engineering.
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats established the Fisher Cats Foundation to be a catalyst for the betterment of communities statewide by supporting youth programs that encourage education and promote healthy living. Through the generous support of players, employees, sponsors, and fans, the Fisher Cats Foundation continuously works to make a positive impact throughout New Hampshire and north-central Massachusetts. As the primary funding source for the team’s philanthropy, the Fisher Cats Foundation supports a wide variety of non-profit organizations and coordinates several fundraising programs and events. Since its inception in 2006, the Foundation and the Fisher Cats have provided more than $4 million in monetary and in-kind donations to thousands of non-profit organizations.
Image courtesy of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.