A Memorial High School senior is a Francis Wayland Parker Scholar of the Month for the third year in a row.
Rachel E. Hedge, 17, of Manchester, won the honor for September. She also won the award as a junior in February and as a sophomore in November 2006.
Winning the award for the third year in a row, "is almost surreal," Hedge said. "It's really cool. All the hard work is really paying off."
Her guidance counselor at the school, John Bugden, said Hedge does "quite a balancing act," between academics, athletics and community service. "Rachel does a nice job of keeping things in perspective and not taking on more than she can handle," he said.
Hedge had 10 varsity letters at the end of her junior year for softball, field hockey and track; is eighth in her class of 497 and a National Honor Society member; and she volunteers in the school's guidance office, while serving as communications officer for the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council.
Hedge has her sights set on attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute next year where she wants to study professional writing, combining her love of both science and writing. "It's a nice balance between the two," she said.
She also hopes to play on the school's softball team. She has talked with the coach, visited the campus and is working with WPI on financial matters.
One of Hedge's goals is to play softball on the college level and maybe field hockey. She is a second-team, all-state selection as field hockey goalie and wants to help her team make the playoffs for the first time this fall.
Academically, her goal is to remain one of the top 10 students in her class, something she has maintained since her freshman year. Hedge notes she has been given so much over the years. "I want to give back so . . . I can help someone else out," she said.
Memorial Principal Arthur Adamakos said Hedge is an exceptional student, and noted she has two devoted parents -- Mr. and Mrs. David Hedge -- in her background who are very supportive of her education. "That's something you have to have," he said about parental involvement.
In her winning scholarship essay, Hedge talks to Parker, a 19th-Century educator considered the father of modern education, as if he is interviewing her for a position at his new school.
In her interview she touts a hands-on approach to successful learning -- one of the tenants of his educational philosophy -- noting real-world applications help in true learning.
She tells of her less-than-totally-successful experience in a biology class where multiple chapters were covered in a short period of time, making the information difficult to retain.
Hedge compares the biology experience to a psychology class where the chapters were covered one at a time, making the information easier to digest.
"Students must find learning to be fun and the only way to make that happen is to include them in their own education and create an active learning environment," Hedge writes.
She said she believes Parker's educational philosophy of hands-ons learning and taking subjects in small increments is really important. "I use that in how I study. I break (subjects) into small groups," she said.
The Francis Wayland Parker Scholarship program is sponsored by the New Hampshire Association of School Principals, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Verizon, Lifetouch Studios and the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Northern New England.
The runners-up for the September Scholar of the Month are: Alison K. Lajoie, Campbell High School, Litchfield; Josie Kenney, Colebrook Academy; Roy W. Kresge, Conant High School, Jaffrey; Michael J. Kowalchuk, Manchester High School West; Remley Johnson, Hopkinton Middle/High School; Jie Gu, Alvirne High School, Hudson; Christopher Genito, Londonderry High School; Alexandrea Dudley, Farmington Senior High School; Bianca Nicolosi, The Derryfield School, Manchester.
For more information, call the New Hampshire Association of School Principals at 225-3431.
