Three Stoneham High students named $5,000 McKeown Scholars
Published on May 1st, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - The following essays were written by this year's McKeown Scholars Program winners in Stoneham. As part of the competition, sponsored by Cummings Properties Foundation, students were required to write a timed essay on the following topic in March. Essays were then number coded and anonymously evaluated by Stoneham High English department volunteers. Essays served as the "first cut" criteria to identify finalists in the six-year-old competition.
Winners were determined from the group of finalists based upon overall essay quality, application packets, community service record, overall outstanding reputation, a personal interview, and other stated criteria. School officials reported that 100 percent of eligible students participated in the program this year at Stoneham High. The program was also expanded this year to include all Stoneham residents who are high school seniors graduating in the top 20 percent of their respective secondary schools.
The McKeown Scholars Program was established in 1996 in memory of James L. McKeown. Late president of Cummings Properties, Mr. McKeown was well-known throughout the Boston area for his mild manner, strong reputation for fairness and integrity, and far-reaching efforts to expand opportunities for local youth. Mr. McKeown died unexpectedly of heart failure in 1996 at the age of 41, while running near his home in Winchester, where he lived with his wife Denise and two young daughters, Molly and Kelly. Following his death, the city of Beverly dedicated the James L. McKeown Elementary School in his memory, and the city of Woburn honored him with the naming of the James L. McKeown Memorial Inter-change over Route I-93.
This year's essay topic was as follows:
Describe any thing(s) in your life that has/have changed since the national tragedies of September 11, 2001. How do you believe your life may or may not be permanently altered by these events?
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