The Deacons are pleased to announce that three First Church students, Evan Chapman, Dylan Hegedus and Emma Magee, were awarded Pinchbeck Scholarships to support their education in the fall. This Scholarship Fund was established many years ago by Harriet and William Pinchbeck as a symbol of support for the young adults of First Congregational Church who are continuing their education.
Evan Chapmen, a 2021 graduate of Guilford High School, is a first-time recipient of the Pinchbeck Scholarship and will start his college education at Nichols College in the fall where he plans to study Criminal Justice. While in high school, Evan was an active volunteer at First Church with many opportunities to help our youth and he volunteered with Guilford Cares, a program for the elderly and shut ins. He was active in summer camp programs helping youth of all ages and helped coach youth football and lacrosse. Evan also had the chance to work with a career mentor by shadowing someone in the law enforcement profession and exploring opportunities to pursue in that line of work. Evan was a varsity athlete in high school and plans to continue playing football and lacrosse in college.
Dylan Hegedus will be a sophomore in the fall at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) and continue studying Biotechnology. While at SCSU, Dylan worked at the Nurse Simulation Lab, which was a good motivation for him and an opportunity for him to find out about career opportunities. Dylan also volunteered with CIMP before constraints of the pandemic hit. After graduation Dylan may pursue an advanced degree.
Emma Magee will be in her first year of graduate school at Valparaiso University seeking an Advanced Practice Master of Social Work degree, specialization in Children, Youth and Families. Emma hopes to work with youth, potentially in child welfare at a Department of Child and Family Services agency, in areas where social work and the law intersect, or in residential facilities for teenagers with mental or behavioral health issues. While attending Guilford High School, Emma was a member of Pilgrim Fellowship for all 4 years, and served as a leader in the group during her junior and senior years. At Valparaiso University, she was active in Gamma Phi Beta sorority and served in leadership roles as well as on the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee. She served on Valparaiso’s Student Social Work Organization and on the Athena Society, an organization that aims to promote education and gender equality, intersectional feminism, and women's empowerment. In addition, Emma had numerous other volunteer hours supporting several other causes.
With Hope, Paul Kuehn and the Deacons