Windham senior Freese first recipient of Pat Moody Foundation scholarship

By Matt Pascarella

During Windham’s senior awards night at Windham High School last month, the first Pat Moody Foundation scholarship was presented to senior Braycen Freese in the amount of $2,500. The Pat Moody Foundation was created after the passing of beloved Windham resident Pat Moody who loved this town and was a champion for the local sports community and its youth.

Members of the Pat Moody Foundation gather after awarding 
the first Pat Moody Foundation Scholarship at Windham High
School during Senior Awards Night on Thursday, June 5 to
WHS senior Braycen Freese. Back from left are Todd
Hamilton, Geoff Grigsby, Chad Pulkkinen, George McCrillis,
Jedidiah Merrill, Tyler Graves, and David Harrigan. Front
from left are Tracey Lydon, Braycen Freese and
Sherma Moody. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“He was like a second father to me,” said Freese. “When I saw the scholarship go up, it was an opportunity to be felt in his name again and he’s still around in my life. He was a mentor to me, through basketball, through life, through school – every part of my life, he was a role model. It’s a great thing to be the first one, just when I see his name and my name next to each other, it brings joy to my heart. If I was ever having trouble with sports, with school, he was always there to talk, he was always teaching me new things whenever I was struggling ... he would teach me new things to get through the humps. He always celebrated me more than I celebrated myself, so he made me feel special.”

Freese said he applied to honor Moody’s name. Freese consulted his basketball coach, Chad Pulkkinen, on what he should say in his essay; Pulkkinen’s advice to Freese was to just write what was in his heart.

“Braycen is a great kid, he’s top 10 in his class,” said Pat Moody Foundation Executive Committee board member Geoff Grigsby. “He graduated a year early; he had a real strong connection with Pat. As a board, our primary focus is to be an extension of Pat; live by the model ‘What would Pat do?’ Braycen meant a ton to him and vice-versa – someone who was instrumental to Braycen’s athletic achievements. There were such strong candidates, and we wanted to help as many people as we can within reason; we thought broadening (the scholarship) to three people was the right move.”

The Pat Moody Foundation was impressed with all applicants; they added two additional $1,000 scholarships; those winners were seniors Stella Jarvais and Lukas Hammond. It was very difficult for the Pat Moody Foundation board to decide on who the winner should be – everyone’s resume was so strong, and each applicant had done so much to meet the criteria. Each applicant got a “Moody’s Army” T-shirt, which is representative of people who’ve gone above and beyond in the community.

“We wanted civic-minded, well-rounded individuals, said Moody’s best friend and Pat Moody Foundation board member Tyler Graves. “We wanted student-athletes, just because that was kind of Pat’s medium in terms of connecting with kids. They all had amazing GPAs and cumulative scores, their citizenship and volunteerism were beautiful; they had to write an essay of how they were deserving and what Pat meant to them, plus a letter of recommendation from a coach or a teacher.”

Graves said Freese’s essay really stuck out because it delved into how much Moody affected him and shaped him over the past few years and that was really touching to Graves; this person knew Moody and the way they described Moody’s impact really tugged at Graves’ heart strings.

“I’m just honored to win” said Freese, who will attend the University of Maine Orono and major in mechanical engineering and then plans to attend law school. He is still deciding if he’d like to become a private attorney or mechanical engineer. <

Seven WHS seniors sign college athletic letters of intent

By Matt Pascarella

Seven Windham seniors including Katelyn Cotter, Zoe Dries, Ava Gerrity, Carter Engelman, Tayla Pelletier, Marina Schwarz and Lukas Hammond signed college letters of intent at Windham High School on Thursday, May 28.

The first group of student-athletes signing letters of intent will be profiled this week, with the remaining student-athletes appearing in next week’s edition.

Windham High seniors get ready to sign letters of intent 
to attend colleges and play sports. Back from left are
Zoe Dries, Katelyn Cotter, Ava Gerrity, Marina
Schwarz, and Tayla Pelletier. From from left are
Carter Engelman and Luka Hammond.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

Katelyn Cotter – Husson University, Bangor

“Katelyn has been the cornerstone of our varsity team from her first match as a freshman to her final season as our captain,” said Windham varsity tennis coach Katy Dresnok. “She consistently demonstrated unwavering dedication, grit and poise on and off the court. She’s led by example, not just through her strong work ethic and play, but also through positivity and sportsmanship.”

Cotter will major in elementary education and would like to teach fourth or fifth grade. She will also play tennis.

“It was a big deal for me (to sign my commitment letter),” said Cotter. “When I started tennis freshman year, I never thought I’d be in the place I was today and play college tennis, so being able to recognize that ... was a huge moment for me.”

Zoe Dries – Colby-Sawyer College, New Hampshire

“Zoe’s impact goes far beyond the field or the classroom,” said Windham varsity field hockey coach Cory DiDonato. “She’s the definition of drive and dedication. Every early morning workout, every extra rep and every sacrifice is a testament to her relentless pursuit of excellence. I was able to depend on her all throughout her high school career to be a positive influence on those around her.”

Dries will major in nursing and would maybe like to become a travel nurse. She will also play field hockey for Colby-Sawyer.

“It felt really good and everything just kind of comes together and now I’m ready (for college),” said Dries. “It was also great to thank all my coaches and friends. My love for the sport and how we all felt like a family (is something she learned from Windham athletics); I’m going to miss this so much, but I’m also excited for my next couple chapters and seeing where I go from there.”

Ava Gerrity – University of Southern Maine, Gorham

“She picked up the game with remarkable ease, showing instinct and skill far beyond her experience,” said DiDonato. She’s a strong, independent young woman who carries herself with confidence and pride. The program benefited from having her around every day. Her opponents knew they were in for a challenge and her teammates knew they had a rock-solid defender they could count on.”

Gerrity will Major in biology and might pursue a pre-veterinarian track or pharmacy track. She took AP courses throughout high school and gained 10 credits for the fall. She will play field hockey and be on the track team for USM.

“It felt really good signing with my fellow classmates and just seeing where we’re going to go,” said Gerrity. “I wanted to do it because ... it’s a big deal for us to be able to sign together and have one last thing (we do) before we continue our academic and athletic careers in college.”

Carter Engelman – Northeastern University, Massachusetts

“His dedication and personal motivation have been unmatched, and his quest to be the best version of himself.” said Windham boys’ track and field coach Paula Pock. “He’s highly committed, very competitive ... he’s motivated, he’s innovative ... he takes the time to work with his teammates and demonstrates great sportsmanship.”

Engelman will major in chemical engineering but is undecided as to what he’ll do after college. He will also be on the track team for Northeastern.

“It’s always good to have a physical stimuli for an achievement,” said Engelman about signing his letter of intent. “It helps you feel the culmination of everything you’ve done and all the hard work you’ve put in.”

Third in his class, Engelman said Windham taught him that community is everything in any sport; having a support group and friends among your teammates is one of the largest things that contribute to your success. <