Daily Time Chronicle - May 10, 2011

Chelsea Fujimoto wins McKeown Scholarship
Daily Times Chronicle

WINCHESTER - Graduating senior Chelsea Fujimoto has been selected by Winchester High School as this year's McKeown Scholar. Fujimoto topped 26 classmates to earn the honor, which is accompanied by a $10,000 merit scholarship to be applied to the four-year college or university of her choice.

The McKeown Scholars competition, now in its 15th year, is sponsored by Woburn-based Cummings Foundation. According to Joel Swets, the Foundation's executive director, “An ambitious young woman with excellent communication skills, Chelsea is an excellent representative of the McKeown Scholars program. We are pleased to be able to recognize her achievements and reward her hard work.”

Fujimoto will attend Skidmore College this fall where she plans to pursue a liberal arts degree with a double major in biology and Spanish. On being selected as the McKeown Scholar, she said, “More than the money, it is such a confidence booster. This is the first major award I've won, and it is an honor to win it from such a well-respected organization.”

Outside of academics, Fujimoto is actively involved with the school's Gay Straight Alliance, as well as Dandelion Exchange, an annual two-week volunteer trip to China, during which students teach English to the children of migrant workers. Fujimoto participated in this program her freshman and sophomore years, and has plans to do so again at the end of the current school year.

Winchester's high school seniors in the top 20 percent of their class were invited to participate in the McKeown Scholars competition, which began on March 9 with a written essay under exam conditions at Winchester High School. Staff from the school's English Department evaluated the anonymous essays and selected the top four as finalists for the award. The winner was determined based on overall essay quality, application packet, community service record, outstanding reputation, and a personal interview.

This year's essay question (included in its entirety below) asked students to persuade a philanthropist of the worthiness of a particular charity. Fujimoto made a compelling and well-written argument in support of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, while other students wrote about Doctors Without Borders, Special Olympics, Give a Child a Home Foundation, and Boston Association for Gay and Lesbian Youth, to name just a few.

According to Fujimoto, “The question definitely caught me off guard, and I sat and racked my brain for a couple of minutes. I plan to go into biology, and so was able to talk about cancer research.”

The McKeown Scholars Program was established in 1996 in memory of James L. McKeown, late president of Cummings Properties and a Winchester resident at the time of his sudden death at age 41. McKeown left a wife Denise and two young daughters, Molly and Kelly. Having been much admired for his fairness and integrity in business and personal dealings, the loss of McKeown was mourned throughout the Boston area. Following his death, Woburn honored him with the naming of the James L. McKeown Memorial Interchange over I-93, and the city of Beverly dedicated the James L. McKeown Elementary School in his memory.

This year's essay topic was as follows:

George Zambros of Rockefeller Foundation has offered you $1 million to give to a charity about which you are passionate, but only if you can persuade him that the cause is a worthy one. Write him a convincing letter about your cause of choice.

2011 McKeown Scholar $10,000 Award Winner Chelsea Fujimoto essay (unedited from original submission):

Dear Mr. Zambros,

I believe that the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is the most worthy of such a generous donation. Though the charity began humbly, from one sister's dream, it has now expanded to one of the most vital components in the fight against breast cancer. As it was founded in memory of Susan G. Komen, their battle against this disease maintains a very personal aspect. Her own story has inspired many to join the fight for a cure. Families from across the nation have testified to the importance of this charity's work. Mrs. Komen's sister still stands by her founding beliefs, and as the head of the charity, ensures that all funds are spent in a most effective manner. Their reach is now nation-wide, and the success of this charity affects the work of every major hospital and research center. The foundation is therefore able to provide aid on every level, from helping affected families, to pushing forward in the fight for a cure.

On the level closest to home, the foundation provides aid to needy families. Mrs. Komen herself, having been through the ordeal, knows the pain that such an illness can inflict on an entire family. For this reason, the charity contributes money, to assist families who are having trouble paying for treatment. Chemotherapy is a long and potentially detrimental process; the burden of the hospital bill need not be added to the stress of the treatment itself. For affected families, the efforts of this charity make a world of difference.

Certainly, their familial work, and the story of this charity's humble beginnings are inspiring; but the work has only just begun. On a larger scale, the fight for a cure is a burden consuming the nation. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an integral part of the ongoing research. When it first began, the fight seemed an uphill battle, nearly impossible to win. With the publicity that they were able to bring to the growing issue of breast cancer, research efforts have swelled. And yet despite this, there is still much research that has yet to be completed. As an aspiring research biologist, I know the difficulties of running a successful trial. The process of applying for a grant is crucial, but often ends with less money than is necessary for the research project. All too often, trials have been abandoned simply for lack of funds. This charity has been able to assist many oncologists in their continual research on breast cancer. They both provide grants for a team to begin research, and can make sure that a trial is finished on time and budget. The foundation also acts as a wonderful resource, connecting numerous projects, so they might collaborate and perform the most effective research possible.

Though it may seem that such a large charity would make quick work of any donation, I believe that the combination of their founding principles, their proven work, and realistic goals make this charity the best candidate. Susan G. Komen's memory lives on in the charity's work, providing the steam to push our research forward. As such, their success stories are numerous, ranging from small-town families to entire research teams.

Most importantly though, I believe your generous donation would be the key to changing this work-in-progress into the ultimate success story. In addition to this major contribution to the charity itself, the work done as a result would have implications affecting numerous other fields. A cure for breast cancer would increase the knowledge available for the fights against other types of cancer; moreover, it has the ability to improve the treatment for diseases associated with old age. Ultimately, the Susan G. Komen Foundation would be able to make the most of this donation, aiding families, researchers, and other foundations, thereby laying the foundation for future research into improved medical treatments, and a most effective cure.