Area Nonprofits And UNH Whittemore School Student Volunteers Recognized At Fidelity Investments Community Service Awards

Contact: Lori Wright
603-862-0574
UNH Media Relations

March 4, 2005



DURHAM, N.H. – The Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire will present the Fidelity Investments Community Service Awards, Monday, March 7, in celebration of outstanding student volunteer activities.

The event begins at noon in the Squamscott Room of the Holloway Commons with a luncheon celebration, which will be followed by the presentation of the Fidelity Investments Community Service Awards. Four awards will be presented to students enrolled in the Whittemore School's Introduction to Business course taught by Ross Gittell, James R. Carter Professor of Management. The students are required to complete a minimum of eight hours of community service as part of learning about corporate social responsibility. The awards –$1,000 grants – will go to the nonprofit organizations where the winning students completed their volunteer work.

The Fidelity Literacy Award will be presented to Seacoast Reads for the work of student volunteers Sara Wilcox of Clifton Park, NY; David Watts of Auburn; and Elizabeth Kitt of Eden Prairie, MN. Wildcat Mentors and volunteer Amanda Rood of Manchester, Conn., was a finalist. The award recognizes the student volunteer project or activity that promotes literacy and/or helps strengthen reading skills for a variety of age groups and populations.

The Fidelity Financial Education Award will be presented to Riddle Brook School of Bedford and student volunteers Brittany Blair of Bedford, Nicole Beaulieu of Manchester, Kristina Drociak of Hooksett, and Jennifer Price of Hooksett. Laconia Middle School and volunteer Caitlyn Porell was a finalist. The award recognizes the student volunteer project or activity that helps to promote personal financial education and further individual understanding of personal finance concepts, including budgeting and savings, avoiding credit and investment risks, philanthropic investment strategies, understanding different economic models, etc.

“Riddle Brook School was fortunate to have Brittany, Nicole, Kristina and Jennifer at our school to share their experiences and knowledge with our fifth-grade students. As a community of learners, we value opportunities to enrich teaching and learning in our classrooms. It is our experience that meaningful learning comes as a result of outside organizations partnering with our schools for the benefit of children,” said Michael Fournier, principal of Riddle Brook School. “On behalf of our faculty and students, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to UNH's Whittemore School and Fidelity Investments for their generous contributions to Riddle Brook School. The grant funds will be used to further enhance the educational experiences available to our students.”

The Fidelity Innovation and Technology Award will go to Girls Inc. and student volunteer Marcia Branscom of Bow. Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and student volunteer Ben Fluery of Franconia was a finalist. The award recognizes a student volunteer project or activity that helps a nonprofit organization use technology to initiate changes in its operations and service delivery channels to expand or improve service.

The Fidelity Community Investor Award will be presented to the Child Services Development Center and student volunteers Katherine Brackett of Milford, Mass.; Liam Brown of Alstead; Kimberly Garcia of Salem; Megan Godin of Center Harbor; Casey Elizabeth Morrissey of Bolton, Mass.; Craig Murray of Malta, N.Y.; Jery Obey of Loudon; Nikki Oliveri of Westwood, Mass.; and Rebecca Simpson of Biddeford, Maine. The FRIENDS Project and student volunteer Hayley Finos of Lynnfield, Mass., was a finalist. The award recognizes the student volunteer project or activity that provides the greatest benefit to families and individual residents of the Town of Durham. Judges considered projects in areas including affordable housing, health and human services, transportation, arts and culture and the environment.

Fidelity Investments is one of the world's largest providers of financial services, with custodied assets of $2.1 trillion, including managed assets of $1.1 trillion as of Dec. 31, 2004. Fidelity offers investment management, retirement planning, brokerage, human resources and benefits outsourcing services to more than 19 million individuals and institutions as well as through 5,500 financial intermediaries. The firm is the largest mutual fund company in the United States, the No. 1 provider of workplace retirement savings plans, one of the largest mutual fund supermarkets and a leading online brokerage firm. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit http://www.fidelity.com.