Alexandra Harte, Reporter
@aharte_courant
On Thursday May 24, Junior Conor West, his parents and Assistant Principal David Gusitsch attended a luncheon at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville where Conor received the Governor Scholar Award. Conor was one of 22 students selected from a group of 150 applicants.
To be considered for the Governor’s Scholar Award, a junior must be in the top 5% of their class, have impressive standardized test results that fit the criteria and a competitive grade-point average. In addition, Conor had to send a copy of his transcript and complete a well-written free response essay about how leaders make change outside of their communities. “I decided to pursue it because I thought it would be a good chance to recognize my progress in high school and my pursuits in academic areas,” he said.
The CAS evaluated both his grades and his essay to analyze how he approached the question and to determine if he was well qualified. When finding out that Conor had won the award, Mr. Gusitsch said, “It was quite an honor from the state that Conor was one of the 22 that were named.”
At the luncheon, officials from the Connecticut Association of Schools talked about each recipient individually, followed by eligibility for other awards. Recipients such as Conor are qualified for other prestigious programs with instate universities. Conor said that they offer “summer and fall programs to enroll with through Connecticut colleges, for example Fairfield University, Connecticut College. They also offer a program with UConn.”
In the program at the reception, a small snippet about Conor is written, where he says, “Throughout my high school career I’ve sought to be a well-rounded and committed student, and I am grateful for the diverse high school experiences I have had.”
Upon being given this award, Conor is eligible for the UConn Academic Excellence Scholarship. If he decides to attend UConn, the scholarship will cover a large portion of the cost. “I’ll definitely be thinking about it when looking at where I’ll be applying,” Conor said.
Horace Mann Insurance is a corporate sponsor for this CAS event. This company has been known to support educational programs, with their motto being “Founded by educators for educators.”
