WELCOME TO THE NORA COFFIN BARNES MEMORIAL FUND
Supporting Young Women Pursuing An Education In The STEM Fields
The Nora Coffin Barnes Memorial Fund believes that women are grossly underrepresented in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields . According to a 2016 National Science Foundation report, women comprise half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but only 29% of the science and engineering workforce. We plan on closing that gap.
About
Nora Coffin Barnes was born on February 5, 2017. Sadly, she passed away 2 days later. During her brief time with us, it quickly became apparent that her favorite book was Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty. With her love of science in mind, the Nora Coffin Barnes Memorial Fund is committed to helping young women obtain a college degree in the STEM fields.
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The Nora Coffin Barnes Memorial Fund is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the State of Vermont. As such, your donations are tax deductible. Furthermore, we are proud to say that 100% of all donations received will go directly to providing scholarships to young women. As of 2022, we have given over $20,000 in scholarships to young women to assist them in attending college and youth science summer camps.
Our Current Scholarships
Rutland High School
Nora's father, Glenn, attended Rutland High School, graduating in 2003. Each year we will provide a scholarship of at least $1500 to a female senior with a stated intent to pursue a degree in a STEM field.
Hartford High School
Nora's parents, Julia and Glenn, started their lives together in Hartford, Vermont. Each year we will be providing a scholarship of at least $1500 to a female senior at Hartford who intends to pursue a college degree in a STEM field.
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Our Recipients
Molly Hickey
Rutland High School 2024
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Photo Forthcoming
An accomplished violinist, Molly is also an outdoor enthusiast and lover of nature. Among her many acts of service was a 120 hour hike of the Long Trail to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Her Senior Capstone Project was entitled The Importance of Rainforest Flora in Providing Medicinal Resources & the Impact of Climate Change. Molly will pursue her passions at Clarkson University where she intends to major in Environmental Science/Biology with the goal of becoming an Environmental Biologist. We believe the future of our world is in good hands with people like Molly!
Gabriella Gardner
Hartford High School 2024
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Seen here with her copy of Ada Twist
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An all-league field hockey player, Gabby spent time during her senior year shadowing nurses while she considered pursuing an education in the field. Gabby will be working as an LNA this summer before starting her freshman year at UVM, where she will major in nursing. We can't wait to see the future Gabby creates for herself with her inteligence, passion, and compassion.
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Brooke Schaeffer
Rutland High School 2023
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Photo Forthcoming
Brooke was an active member of the RHS community, participating in two sports, two honor societies and multiple community service organizations. Her Senior Capstone Project was on the adverse impacts of childhood trauma. She plans to build on this passion by majoring in psychology at Virginia Tech, with the goal of becoming a child psychiatrist, potentially with a focus on trauma therapy. When combining her kindness and empathy with her intelligence and drive, we are confident that Brooke will accomplish big things in the future.
Jenna Montgomery-Concha
Rutland High School 2022
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Photo Forthcoming
Jenna was a two sport athlete who was president of four different clubs at Rutland. She was a co-director of the Yellow Tulip Project, a non-profit aimed at reducing the stigmatisms associated with mental health. A first generation college student, Jenna is passionate about breaking down barriers to allow marginalized populations access to quality higher education, particular in the STEM fields. Jenna was a clinical engineering/biomed intern at Rutland Regional Medical Center. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with endorsements in both STEM and Global Studies. Jenna is attending UCLA where she is majoring in Cognitive Science.
Gianna Pezzetti
Rutland High School 2021
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Seen here with her copy of Ada Twist
In addition to being an excellent student, Gianna was an active member of the RHS community, participating in many clubs and athletic teams, including, but not limited to: the student council, key club, lacrosse and field hockey. This four year Tri-Scholar Athlete will be taking her talents to UVM where she plans to major in molecular genetics with a minor in chemistry. After undergrad, she plans to obtain her PhD in molecular genetics before serving either as a lab researcher or genetic counselor. Her hope is that through her work, every baby will have a chance to live a long and healthy life.
Lauren Calvin
Rutland High School 2020​
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Seen here with her copy of Ada Twist
In addition to her excellent academic credentials, we were really impressed by Lauren's dedication to helping others. Lauren has spent her high school years advocating for those less fortunate, both in her community and abroad. Among her many selfless acts, she has built houses in Malawi with Habitat for Humanity and volunteered over 350 hours at the Rutland Regional Medical Center. She will be attending James Madison University where she will major in speech pathology. In addition to obtaining her master's, one of her dreams is to volunteer through the Peace Corp to provide her future expertise to individuals that would not otherwise have access to speech pathology services. With selfless ambition like this, we cannot wait to see Lauren's future accomplishments!
Lily Duboff
Rutland High School 2019
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Seen here receiving her scholarship
Lily is an incredible young woman who is committed to helping others. A state champion and nationally ranked rock climber, we know she will bring tremendous focus and dedication as she earns her degree in Biology at American University. Lily plans on attending medical school after undergrad and believes she would like to serve as a military doctor. We are so thrilled to see what Lily's future will hold
Breanna Franzoni
Rutland High School 2018
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Seen here holding her copy of Ada Twist
Breanna was a 4 year high honor student and graduated from Rutland with a concentration in STEM. She played on the Varsity Golf and Field Hockey teams and spent many hours volunteering at a local elementary school, helping students create science projects. After discovering her love for engineering during an internship with a local firm, she committed to majoring in Environmental Engineering at Siena College this fall. We wish her the best of luck and can't wait to learn of her accomplishments as an engineer!
Nicole Denno
Rutland High School 2017
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Seen here being handed her scholarship and a copy of Ada Twist by Nora's Mother, Julia.
Nicole graduated summa cum laude from Rutland High School and was a two sport athlete. Active in her community, Nicole's passion for helping others has led her to pursue a career in medicine. Nicole has enrolled at the University of Vermont, where she will major in biology on a pre-med track. We wish Nicole the best of luck and know that she will make everyone proud.
Nora Lyons
Hartford High School 2023
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Seen here with her copy of Ada Twist
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Nora was Student Council Vice President, a National Honor Society Member, and 2 sport athlete. She impressed us with her dedication to mental health awareness and gender equality, culminating in her serving as the President of Hope Happens Here, a club dedicated to removing the stigmas associated with mental health in the school community. Nora looks to continue this passion, majoring in Psychology, with an emphasis on child psychology, at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. We know that Nora will continue to exemplify her award winning traits of compassion and service as she follows her dreams of getting her doctorate in the field.
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Olivia Merrill, Nora Knudsen, Caroline Hamilton, and Kayla Burnham
Hartford High School 2022
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Seen here with their copies of Ada Twist
Sometimes the applicants are so amazing that you just can't choose. This year we awarded 4 amazing young women $1500 scholarships each.
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Olivia is a member of and has been published with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, was inducted as a member of the American Junior Academy of Science Fellows and participated in the Hampshire Academy of Science STEM Lab. She spent her summers as a camp counselor at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science and is attending Brandeis to major in biology.
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Nora was class valedictorian, class treasurer, a four sport varsity athlete, and volunteer extraordinaire whose Senior Capstone Project was titled "Women in STEM". She attended the National Youth Leadership Forum's Conference on Medicine. Nora developed a website to connect local students to STEM resources in the area. Nora is attending Stanford University to major in Biomedical Engineering.
Caroline was class president, a three sport varsity athlete (who captained the State Championship Lacrosse team), and an incredible advocate for mental health awareness in her community. She was the founder and president of the Hope Happens Here chapter at Hartford and hosted a podcast called "You are Loved" which put a spotlight on mental health in the Hartford HIgh School Community. Caroline is attending Saint Lawrence University where she will play field hockey and major in pre-med with a focus on molecular genetics and psychology.
Kayla was a two sport athlete who participated in the Early College Program at Hartford. She spent a significant amount of time assisting in psychological clinical research at the Woodstock Research Center where she drew blood, performed EKGs, and assisted clinicians in their research on mental illnesses. Kayla is attending Bates College where she is majoring in Neuroscience. She plans on obtaining her doctorate in Biochemistry and ultimately conducting research in Alzheimer's disease.
Beatrice Wendling
Hartford High School 2021
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Seen here with her copy of Ada Twist
Bea is an exceptional student with a passion for science. This impressive young woman has already conducted independent research through the New Hampshire Academy of Science on the effect of polystyrene leaching on the fecundity of C. elegans. She will be moving on to Smith College where she plans to major in Biological Sciences or Biochemistry. Smith College just so happens to be the alma mater of Nora's Auntie Emma, who gave Ada Twist to Nora while she was in the NICU. We couldn't be more excited to see what Bea is able to accomplish at Smith and beyond!
Emma Farnsworth
Hartford High School 2020
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Seen here receiving her scholarship with Nora's mom, dad and little sister Grace
Emma will be enrolling in the nursing program at UVM this fall. Emma is an active member of the Hartford academic and athletic communities with numerous accolades. However, what impressed us most is how she has responded to COVID in her community. Instead of staying home and binging Netflix all day, Emma earned her LNA degree and then began working as an nursing assistant at a local elder care facility. She embodies the bright light our future holds and the spirit of Nora's legacy. We know that with her work ethic and selfless approach to life, she will make an excellent nurse and an excellent leader in her community!
Parminder Kaur
Hartford High School 2019
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Seen here receiving her scholarship
Parminder and her family immigrated to the United States when she was 8 years old. A first generation American, she was Student Council Vice President, a member of the Math Team, a National Honor Society member, and Honors Program graduate who volunteered over a 100 hours for Cover Home Repair, a local organization that provides home repair assistance for our areas financially needy. Parminder will be the first in her family to attend college, enrolling at UVM in the Engineering Department. She is an incredible young woman and we know that everyone in our community is cheering her on towards all her future successes!
Michaela Ricker
Hartford High School 2018
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Seen here holding her copy of Ada Twist.
Michaela is an honors graduate of Hartford High School where she played three sports (Field Hockey, Basketball and Lacrosse), and was a member of the Math Team and Student Council. She also created the successful "Adopt-a-Grandparent" program at Hartford. Michaela will be attending the University of Rochester in the Fall, majoring in Brain and Cognitive Science. We cannot wait to see what this incredible young woman will do in the future
Kenna Hausler
Hartford High School 2017
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Seen here holding her copy of Ada Twist and posing with Nora's father Glenn.
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Kenna was the president of her graduating class at Hartford High School. An admired member of her school and community, Kenna hopes to continue a family tradition in the pharmaceutical field. Kenna will be attending the University of Rhode Island in a special 6 year Pharm.D program. We look forward to learning all about Kenna's future successes as she becomes a woman entering a STEM field.
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