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STONINGTON – The Eugene Atwood Fund, a private non-profit foundation located in Stonington, CT, has been providing interest-free loans to New London County area students for over one hundred years. Programs include their annual awards as well as interest-free loans for college, trade/tech school or to obtain certification/licensing. Nineteen (19) senior high school students were awarded a total of $35,612 in funding and twenty-one (21) students were approved interest-free loans totaling over $78,000 for the 23-24 school year.
The Eugene Atwood Award is provided to senior high school students nominated by their principals and awarded for academic achievement. The Board of Trustees voted to award a total of $22,750 to the following students: 2023 Eugene Atwood Award Benjamin Nave Wheeler High School Student Name Withheld East Lyme High School Addie Concascia Montville High School Helen Gross Stonington High School 2023 Eugene Atwood Recognition Award Brooke Rodgers Bacon Academy Jenaliz Cordero Grasso Technical High School Kendall Larkin Griswold High School Ronan Allison Ledyard High School Lauren Pinkerton Lyman Memorial High School Shaelin McMunn Marine Science Magnet High School John Podziewski Norwich Technical High School Isaiah Anderson Robert E. Fitch High School Luca Muscarella Saint Bernard School Anika Gard The Williams School Briana Smith Waterford High School The Eugene Atwood Innovation Award provides funding for the purchase of tools/equipment for senior high school students pursuing a career in a trade related profession. The Eugene Atwood Fund’s Trade and Technology Committee awarded a total of $12,862 to the following students: 2023 Eugene Atwood Innovation Award McKenzie Wolicka Bacon Academy Kathrine Buckley Grasso Technical High School Benjamin Petersons Ledyard High School Student Name Withheld Norwich Technical High School For more information about programing or to apply, please visit www.eugeneatwoodfund.org or contact Stacey Haskell at admin@eugeneatwoodfund.org.
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For 106 years, Eugene Atwood Fund has helped students further their education and training1/10/2023 Featured in The Day Newspaper on January 9, 2023 (click here to be redirected to the article in The Day)
By Carrie Czerwinski, Special to The Day Stonington ― In 1916, Eugene Atwood, an inventor, businessman and owner of the Atwood Machine Company, started a philanthropic organization with $100,000 of his own money, to provide interest-free loans to college-bound students. Though the company was sold in 1945, and the borough factory has since been replaced with the Stonington Commons condominiums and the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club, his legacy endures today in the Eugene Atwood Fund. The organization continues to fulfill its mission, as stated by Atwood in 1916, "to aid deserving industrious young people, who are making an honest effort to accomplish the best results in life,” by offering interest-free loans to students heading to college or trade schools as well as awards ranging from $250 to $5,000 to high school seniors in New London County. Atwood’s great, great granddaughter, Erica Lindberg Gourd, the managing trustee of the fund, described Atwood as “the son of a little bit kooky bicycle mechanic,” and explained that the idea of an obligation to the community and philanthropic works, were of great importance to him. She said that throughout the generations, the family, somewhat ironically, stressed the importance of an old French concept known as noblesse oblige—the social obligations of the nobility. Gourd explained the concept as “to whom much has been given, much is expected,” and, in plainer terms, “you don’t just buy a big house in Watch Hill and then a boat with three motors. You have enough, and you share.” She said the irony is the “the Atwoods were not nobility at all—they were bike mechanics. They were bike mechanics who turned their knowledge of machinery into something that generated revenue.” In fact, their knowledge of bicycles, helped them develop a self-centering spindle which revolutionized thread making and eventually resulted in the Atwood Machine Company producing the majority of the world’s machines that made silk thread. This allowed the family to pursue its philanthropic goals. Fund Director Stacey Haskell added that Atwood’s wife gave Stonington the land that Town Hall now sits on, and the family also donated the founding $90,000 for Westerly Hospital. Today, the fund serves the community in three ways-- interest-free loans, awards, and philanthropic giving. The interest-free loans are available to students entering college, and, two years ago, the organization reinstituted loans to students entering a trade or tech school, as well as students in certification or licensing programs. “We reestablished the trade and tech committee in 2020 because we started to really look at the direction our world is going in. Not every student needs to go to a brick and mortar college. We need these tradespeople to continue on into the future,” explained Haskell. Wes Dawley, who leads the Tech and Trade Committee at the Atwood Fund, said that the trades are seeing a decline in younger workers, and, using himself as an example, explained that as he is getting older, there is no one to replace him in the construction industry he has been a part of for more than 30 years. “We need those specialty skills—the plumbers, the electricians, the carpenters,” he said. “We want to make sure that people know that we are here, not just for people who need an interest-free loan for college, but for someone who might need just to get a license or a certification,” Haskell added. By offering loans rather than grants, the organization is able to repeatedly loan the money out when it is repaid, and students are able to avoid the added costs of interest in repayment. “Because we make loans, when we get a donation of, say, $10,000, we may loan that out ten times,” Gourd said, adding, “the benefit of loaning the money back out is that we’ve reutilized it, so, in effect, we’ve been able to give away $5 million.” “It’s the only reason we’re still here 106 years later,” she said. Two award programs are available for high school seniors from New London County. The Eugene Atwood Award for academic excellence, and the Eugene Atwood Innovation Award, which helps students pursuing a career in a trade purchase required tools or equipment, are given yearly to students nominated by their high school principal. The students are required to also write an essay. Available funding varies from year to year, but Haskell said the organization gave out $100,000 in interest- free loans, and an additional $22,000 for the Eugene Atwood Award and $14,000 for the Innovation Award in 2022. When funds are available, the organization also participates in philanthropic giving. In recent years, recipients have included Connecticut College for students enrolling in bookkeeping and accounting programs, Norwich and New London Adult Education, and $10,000 awards to both Norwich Technical High School and Ella T. Grasso Technical High School for the purchase of tools/equipment for student use in the classroom. Individuals are encouraged to apply for loans and awards online at https://www.eugeneatwoodfund.org/. The Eugene Atwood Fund announces recipients of their annual Eugene Atwood Award and Recognition Award. Principals from the each of the nineteen New London County high schools can nominate a student in their senior year for the award who they feel most closely aligns with the mission of the fund.
The Board of Trustees at their meeting in April reviewed nominations and voted to award a total of $22,500 to the following students: 2022 Eugene Atwood Award Olivia Fustini Stonington High School Jamie Kim East Lyme High School Taylor Roy Waterford High School 2022 Eugene Atwood Recognition Award Jordan Rodgers Bacon Academy Elizabeth Morse Grasso Technical High School Jessica Reschny Griswold High School Tessa Tilman Ledyard High School Keera Patel Lyman Memorial High School John Videll Lyme-Old Lyme High School Kayleigh Brown Montville High School Peter Lucido New London High School Ross Blinderman Norwich Free Academy Tyler King Norwich Technical High School Molly Lebovitz Robert E. Fitch High School Christopher Gonzalez Saint Bernard School Emma Hundt Wheeler High School Marissa Slocumb The Williams School Established in 1916, the Eugene Atwood Fund is a private non-profit foundation located in Stonington, CT offering College Bound interest free loans for over one hundred years and recently launched a Trade/Tech School and Certification/Licensing interest free loan program as well as continuing their yearly annual award programs. For more information about programing or to apply, please visit www.eugeneatwoodfund.org or contact Stacey Haskell at admin@eugeneatwoodfund.org. The Eugene Atwood Fund’s Trade and Technology Committee announces recipients of their annual Eugene Atwood Innovation Award which provides funds for the purchase of tools/equipment for students pursuing a career in a trade related profession. Principals from the each of the nineteen New London County high schools were able to nominate a student in their senior year for the award.
The Trade and Technology Committee at their meeting in April reviewed nominations and voted to award a total of $14,905 to the following students: 2022 Eugene Atwood Innovation Award Hunter Bailey Bacon Academy Alexander Whittle Grasso Technical High School Logan Lambert Griswold High School Trevor Howard Ledyard High School Doniel Rodriguez New London High School Dylan Relaz Norwich Technical High School Calvin Lupo Robert E. Fitch High School Johnathan VanderPutten Waterford High School Established in 1916, the Eugene Atwood Fund is a private non-profit foundation located in Stonington, CT offering College Bound interest free loans for over one hundred years and recently launched a Trade/Tech School and Certification/Licensing interest free loan program as well as continuing their yearly annual award programs. The program is currently seeking applicants on a rolling basis for their Trade/Tech School and Certification/Licensing interest free loan program. For more information about programing or to apply, please visit www.eugeneatwoodfund.org or contact Stacey Haskell at admin@eugeneatwoodfund.org. The Eugene Atwood Fund’s Trade and Technology Committee announces recipients of their first Eugene Atwood Innovation Award which provides funds for the purchase of tools/equipment needed for a student pursuing a career in a trade. Principals from the each of the nineteen New London County high schools were able to nominate a student in their senior year for the award.
The Trade and Technology Committee at their meeting in April reviewed nominations and voted to award a total of $4,300 to the following students: 2021 Eugene Atwood Innovation Award Sean Swanke Bacon Academy Teia Lee Ledyard High School Marian Eveangelista New London High School Jackson Kempesta Norwich Technical High School Additionally, two other students from Lyme-Old Lyme High School and New London High School were also award winners. Established in 1916, the Eugene Atwood Fund is a private non-profit located in Stonington, CT and has offered College Bound interest free loans for over one hundred years and has recently launched a Trade/Tech School and Certification/Licensing interest free loan program as continuing their yearly annual award programs. The program is currently seeking applicants on a rolling basis for their Trade/Tech School and Certification/Licensing interest free loan program. For more information about programing or to apply, please visit www.eugeneatwoodfund.org. The Eugene Atwood Fund announces recipients of their annual Eugene Atwood Award and Recognition Award. Principals from the each of the nineteen New London County high schools can nominate a student in their senior year for the award who they feel most closely aligns with the mission of the fund.
The Board of Trustees, at their meeting in April, reviewed nominations and voted to award a total of $29,500 to the following students: 2021 Eugene Atwood Award Ayla Taylor-Robichaud Griswold High School Emily Tarinelli Marine Science Magnet High School Anna Terry The Williams School Samantha Maiolo Robert E. Fitch High School 2021 Eugene Atwood Recognition Award Kellen Paparella Bacon Academy Tyler Pendleton Norwich Technical High School Molly Butremovic Wheeler High School Jennie Lin East Lyme High School Tyler Butler Grasso Technical High School April Loy Ledyard High School Katherine Anderson Lyman Memorial High School Lauren Wallace Lyme-Old Lyme High School Aiden Rebstock Norwich Free Academy Sasha Regalado Saint Bernard School Zachary Bachofner Science & Magnet Technical High School Hailee Langengach Stonington High School Sean Corman Waterford High School Established in 1916, the Eugene Atwood Fund is a private non-profit located in Stonington, CT and has offered College Bound interest free loans for over one hundred years and has recently launched a Trade/Tech School and Certification/Licensing interest free loan program as continuing their yearly annual award programs. For more information about programing or to apply, please visit www.eugeneatwoodfund.org. Trade/Technical School & Certification/Licensing Interest Free Loan Program Accepting Applications5/14/2021 The Eugene Atwood Fund is excited to announce that our Trade/Tech School and Certification/Licensing Interest Free Loan Program is now open and accepting applications on a rolling basis. Students must be New London County residents and attending a trade/tech school or acquiring certification/licensing for their career.
Funding decisions will be at the discretion of the Trade and Technology Committee and based on the amount of funding available. The application process will close to new applicants when the allotted funding has been disbursed and/or on February 28, 2022, whichever comes first. Applications will reopen again in May, 2022 when new funding becomes available. OUR HISTORY: The Eugene Atwood Fund was established in September of 1916 by Mr. Eugene Atwood, the head of the Atwood Machine Company, located in Stonington, Connecticut. Mr. Atwood was an inventor and prized the value of education. He established the Fund with a mission to aid deserving industrious young people who are making an honest effort to accomplish the best results in life.
We will begin accepting applications again for the 2022 Eugene Atwood Award (Principal nominated and based on academic achievement), 2022 Eugene Atwood Innovation Award (Principal nominated with funding for tools/equipment for trade careers) and College Bound Interest Free Loan Program on January 1st with a February 28th deadline. Featured in The Day on January 17, 2021 Stonington -- The Eugene Atwood Fund has announced that it has awarded $10,000 each to Ella T. Grasso Technical High School and Norwich Technical High School to purchase tools and equipment for student use in the classroom. The award, presented in celebration of the fund's 105th anniversary, highlighted its interest-free loan program for New London County college-bound students and the addition of a new loan program for students going to trade school. “The idea to focus attention on the area of technology and trades came from within the spirit of our mission statement which is to help industrious hardworking people build careers,” said the fund's Managing Trustee Erica Lindberg Gourd. Wes Dawley, a member of the fund's trade and technology committee, added, “with over thirty years’ experience in the construction industry, I have seen the downturn in young people getting into the trades and hope that our new trade loan and award programs will engage those considering a future in the trades.” Grasso Tech in Groton recently opened a new building with state-of-the-art classrooms that include the latest technology and industry-standard equipment with training in 12 technologies. “We truly appreciate the $10,000 Award from the Eugene Atwood Fund for our trades; each trade will benefit from these funds, said Grasso Principal Patricia Feeney. "The items that we will now be able to purchase will better enhance the overall shop experience for all students; therefore will also allow for greater concentration and skill development that will make our students highly marketable. These items will continue to help our students to be successful in the study of their career choice.” Norwich Tech offers instruction in 12 career paths. “We are so grateful for this wonderful opportunity. Through the very generous award from the Eugene Atwood Fund, all Norwich Tech students will benefit from learning and practicing their skills using current industry equipment," said Principal Patricia D. King. Fund Administrator Stacey Haskell said the fund is excited to provide this funding to the schools for tools and equipment with the need for experienced skilled workers and tradespeople being in such high demand. The fund is accepting applications for its interest-free loan programs and seeking nominations from principals for its award programs through Feb. 28. More information and application can be found at www.eugeneatwoodfund.org.  L to R: Wes Dawley, Stacey Haskell, Erica Lindberg Gourd, Patricia Feeney, Principal and Grasso Tech staff members.  L to R: Wes Dawley, Stacey Haskell, Erica Lindberg Gourd, Patricia King, Principal and Norwich Tech staff members. |