GAISF Names Benjamin Fieldsend as Its First Recipient
Ledyard, CT - At last night's Ledyard High School Awards Night, the Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship Fund (GAISF) announced Benjamin Fieldsend as the first recipient of the Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship. The inaugural award provides $1,000 toward his postsecondary education.
The scholarship was created by members of the Ledyard High School Class of 1973 as they prepared to mark their 50th reunion. They chose to honor their classmate William Garretson "Gary" Atkinson III by recognizing a graduating LHS senior who demonstrates the strong character, leadership and community-mindedness that defined Gary's life.
Gary was Ledyard High School's 1973 valedictorian, student council president, a member of the National Honor Society and an Eagle Scout. He went on to become a respected project manager whose work included major commercial real estate developments in Boston and London. Gary and his wife, Judith Bernstein Atkinson, were killed in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
While Fieldsend was recognized by other awards for his academic excellence, he was selected to be the inaugural recipient of the GAISF scholarship for his exemplary service to others, athletic leadership and humble character which brilliantly reflect the values the scholarship was established to honor and support.
2023 Inaugural Award Recipient
Benjamin Fieldsend graduated in the top 2% of his class after completing an honors- and AP-level course of study. He earned a place on the honor roll in every marking period beginning in ninth grade, received an academic letter and junior-year bar, and was recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction. He also graduated as a Ledyard Scholar, earned the Seal of Biliteracy and was a member of the National Honor Society.
His leadership extended across athletics, student activities and service. A four-year member of the LHS Varsity Boys' Soccer Team, Fieldsend was named All-ECC in his senior season. He also played varsity tennis each spring, held the No. 1 singles position as a senior, and earned All-ECC and Scholar Athlete recognition. He participated in the Class Act Council and was honored as a Ledyard High School CAS Scholar Athlete.
Outside athletics, Fieldsend contributed to the Math Team, Robotics Team and service-focused Key Club. As the National Honor Society's Tutoring Program Coordinator, he matched students with peer tutors and frequently accepted assignments himself when no other tutor was available. In the broader community, he served as a youth soccer referee and junior volunteer firefighter.
LHS school guidance staff described Fieldsend as a focused scholar, dedicated athlete and involved community member whose humility, patience and genuine interest in helping others distinguished him as a student leader.
Fieldsend will attend the University of Connecticut as a student in its Honors Program, majoring in biomedical engineering.
The Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship Fund invites Ledyard alumni, community members and friends to help carry Gary's humanitarian spirit forward by supporting future scholarships. For more information, visit imaginescholarship.org.
About the Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship Fund
The Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship was established in 2023 by members of the Ledyard High School Class of 1973 in memory of their classmate William Garretson "Gary" Atkinson III. At the time this inaugural award was announced, the Fund was an emerging community scholarship initiative. It has since become a Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting graduating LHS seniors who exemplify Gary's humanitarian spirit.
Contact:
John Dunham, President
The Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship Fund, Inc.
Phone: (415)412-7770
Email: info@imaginescholarship.org
Web: www.imaginescholarship.org