NORWICH – Norwich Free Academy senior Felicity Wang got called to the principal’s office Friday afternoon.

She left her economics class unaware of what awaited her.

Inside the office of Head of School David Klein were other school administrators and cameras ready to capture her reaction when she learned she was the recipient of the Sidney Frank Memorial Scholarship – which will pay a four-year full ride to college.

Wang plans to attend Brown University in the fall.

“What that means for you is no worries,” Kathy McCarthy, director of institutional advancement, explained to the overwhelmed Wang.

“Thank you,” the 18-year-old said quietly as faculty applauded.

The scholarship pays for tuition, room and board and all fees for Wang’s four years at the school. The award is given every four years to an NFA student going to a school recognized as one of the top 75 in the nation. Students with qualifying academics may apply to the scholarship.

Frank, a 1938 NFA graduate and son of a Montville farmer, attended BrownUniversity, but family finances forced him to leave after the first semester. He never returned to college. Later he became an international entrepreneur and businessman with his promotion of Grey Goose vodka and Jagermeister.

Leo Butler, the director of diversity at NFA, said Wang is a gifted student. He said he worked with her outside the classroom with the Future Teachers program, a class for students of color, and with the NAACP- sponsored ACT-SO program an academic, cultural, technological and scientific olympics.

“She’s friendly, she’s accepting of all kids regardless of their background,” Butler said. “She’s very deserving of this award. I can’t think of another student more deserving.”

In addition to her involvement with the Future Teachers program, during her four years at NFA, Wang has worked a part-time job, was a junior volunteer at The William W. Backus Hospital and participated in the unified athletics program where non-disabled students partner work with their disabled peers to compete. And she has maintained highest honors all through high school.

She also has been accepted at UConn, GeorgetownUniversity and BostonCollege.

Her choice came down to Brown’s focus on education as a priority, she said.

“It’s not just the grades or the academic rigor, but the ability to explore and to innovate and think creatively,” Wang said. “I spoke to one person who’s majoring in English and engineering and I don’t think that’s possible at any other school.”

She said she intends to major in economics and history.

“I think people think about numbers when they think of economics, but it’s very logical and it has a lot of theory involved. It’s very applicable to society especially when the economy is a mess basically. And history is something that I’ve always loved,” she said of her choice.

Although she said she’s ready for college, “It’s not to far from home. It’s only an hour away and it’s an opportunity to get out and see the world,”

Wang said she is thankful for everything NFA has given her.

“I think if I had gone to any other school I wouldn’t have gotten the education and the opportunities that I had,” she said.





