MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Monday, Catholic Medical Center (CMC) and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester’s Catholic Schools Office announced that rising Trinity freshman Kaelyn Gagnon was named as one of the 2022 recipients of the CMC Heart and Hands Scholarships.
The CMC Heart & Hands Scholarship application asked students to submit a resume of their service work and describe a community service project or program that they would like to implement.
Gagnon, who won the middle school Heart & Hands Scholarship in 2020 has worked on a number of community service projects through the Girl Scouts, Knights of Columbus, and Lioness of Merrimack. During COVID-19, she spearheaded a “Books & Baking Kits” program to earn her Girl Scouts Silver Award. She’s also a regular walker and fundraiser for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in tribute to three of her great-grandparents who suffered from the disease.
Kaelyn’s proposed project would develop theme boxes that families could take out from their local library and use to spark memories in a loved one with Alzheimer’s. The kits would have contents based on common hobbies and interests and “can help create conversations between those with Alzheimer’s and their families.
The other scholarship was awarded to Theodore Anderson-Thompson, a rising 8th grader at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Laconia.
“Communities thrive when people and organizations give their time and talent toward taking care of others,” said Catholic Medical Center President & CEO Alex Walker. “Students like Theodore and Kaelyn set an important example for their peers while, hopefully, building a foundation for a lifetime of servant leadership.”
