Lesa Meng College Scholarships

2024 Narrow River Preservation Association Lesa Meng College Scholarship Awards

Since 1993, as part of its Youth Environmental Education Program, NRPA has awarded scholarships to seniors graduating from high schools in the Narrow River Watershed. In 2007, the scholarship was renamed the NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarship in honor of a former NRPA Board member who passed away. Lesa Meng served on the Board and was chair of the Narrow River Road Race. The NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship applications are judged on the student’s environmentally oriented activities in and out of high school; the quality of an original essay on the river; science teacher’s recommendation and academic achievement.

This year has been exceptional for the NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship program. We received a record number of high-quality applications. Typically, we award 3 to 4 scholarships, but thanks to the generosity of some NRPA donors, we were able to award 7 scholarships! We are very pleased to announce our 2024 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship winners: Sofia Caito, Ceriana Carnevale, Maya DeAngelis, Jake Pietrzak, Maggie Taplin, Mia Ursillo, and Lucia Zunum-Allen.

Jake Pietrzak of Narragansett High School will attend Penn State University to major in material science engineering. He aims to develop new sustainable polymers and plastics to protect the environment. Jake received an NRPA Youth Environmental Achievement Award. At Narragansett, he founded and served as president of the Media Club, was a National Honor Society member, played forward on the varsity hockey team, and captained the varsity tennis team. He has volunteered with Special Olympics Rhode Island Tennis for four years.

Maggie Taplin of Narragansett High School plans to attend Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, to study biology and enroll in the Health Professions Program. Maggie was a 4-year competitive swimmer and captain of the varsity swim team, as well as a lacrosse player. She served as vice president of the National Honor Society, student council, and class board historian. Maggie has participated in local beach clean-ups and volunteers at a local animal shelter as well as a volunteer at the weekly free sail in Jamestown.

Maya DeAngelis of Narragansett High School will attend the University of Rhode Island to major in marketing and political science. Maya was a four-year varsity soccer player and captain her senior year. She was a National Honor Society Executive Board member, co-historian of the NHS Student Council and Class Board, and a member of the NHS Ecology Club. Maya also served as the Student Council Liaison for the Narragansett School Committee, the first student selected to represent the student body at the school committee meetings.

Ceriana Carnevale of North Kingstown High School

Ceriana Carnevale graduated from North Kingstown High School, where she was a 4-year member and co-president of the Climate Club. She was also a 4-year member of the swim team, serving as captain in her senior year, and she played in the Symphonic Band. Since 2021, Ceriana has interned at the Jamestown Community Farm, a local nonprofit providing organic produce to food pantries across Rhode Island. She plans to major in marine biology with a minor in environmental science at the University of Oregon, with an interest in the conservation of whales and other threatened marine mammals.

Lucia Zunum-Allen of South Kingstown High School

Lucia Zunum-Allen will attend the University of Rhode Island (URI) to major in Ocean Engineering and earn a second degree in Italian under the International Baccalaureate program. Fluent in Spanish, Lucia graduated from South Kingstown High School, where she was an active member of the String Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra, playing violin and piano. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Italian Honor Society and is currently learning American Sign Language.

Sofia Caito of South Kingstown High School

Sofia Caito, a South Kingstown High School graduate, plans to study electrical engineering at Sacred Heart University. Her goal is to provide sustainable electricity to the 760 million people worldwide who currently lack access. Sofia captained both the cross-country and indoor/outdoor track teams and was vice-president of the student council. She was also a member of the National Honor Society, Academic Decathlon team, and orchestra.

Mia Ursillo of South Kingstown High School

Mia Ursillo, a graduate of South Kingstown (SK) High School, plans to major in biology at Florida Atlantic University with the goal of becoming a physician assistant. At SK, she was an active member of the National Honor Society, organizing beach cleanups and co-running the school’s Relay for Life, which fundraises for the American Cancer Society. She is a full-time lifeguard at East Matunuck State Beach where she also enjoys surfing with family and friends.

2023 Narrow River Preservation Association Lesa Meng College Scholarship Awards

Anna Kelly, a graduate of South Kingstown High School (SKHS). Ms. Kelly was also this year’s NRPA Science Fair winner, with her presentation on clover as a natural lawn fertilizer. At SKHS, Anna was a National Honor Society member and a varsity swimmer for four years including Captain her senior year. She was also on the Varsity Softball and varsity Cheer Teems, in addition to being a member of the Student Council. Anna is a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, where she implemented a peer-to-peer mental health awareness program. In the fall, she will be attending Simmons University in Boston to study nursing.

Cole Capizzo, a graduate of South Kingstown High School (SKHS). Cole who enjoys kayaking and paddle boarding on the Narrow River will be studying Marine Transportation in the fall at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards BA, MA. Cole is a US Sailing Level One instructor where he taught sailing in the summer and in the fall taught sailing to URI students. At SKHS, he was an accomplished tennis player as a member of the varsity tennis team for all four years. In addition, he was a member of the unified volleyball team.

Bridget Blessing is a graduate of Narragansett High School (NHS). Since the 6th grade when she attended a middle school field trip to the Narrow River, Bridget has felt a strong connection to the Narrow River. Bridget was vice-president of the NHS ecology club, where she participated in numerous beach clean-ups and planned a tree planting service for Narragansett community members in celebration of Arbor Day. Bridget was her class president, where she organized many successful events. Bridget will be attending Simmons University, Boston in the fall.

Veronica Sabatino, a graduate of Narragansett High School (NHS). Veronica would like to become a lawyer specializing in environmental policy after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, MI. For her senior project, she was involved with RI House Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources, where she focused on the Beverage Container Deposit Recycling Act of 2023. She was chosen as a Rhode Island State House, Legislative Page. Veronica was a member of NHS National Honor Society, the NHS Ecology club and participated in the school Environthon.

2022 Narrow River Preservation Association Lesa Meng College Scholarship Awards

Since 1993, NRPA has awarded scholarships to seniors graduating from high schools in the Narrow River Watershed, as part of its Youth Environmental Education Program. We are very pleased to announce our 2022 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship winners: Parker McGregor, Daniel McGovern and Liam McGovern

Parker McGregor – A recent graduate of South Kingstown High School (SKHS). Parker will be attending the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI., where he plans to major in engineering. Parker is an avid boater, in fact his Senior Project at SKHS was about boater safety. He created a video titled ‘Navigating the Narrows’, which show new boaters how to operate their boats along the Narrow River. Parker has volunteered for numerous river clean-up events, water sampling and tidal readings. He is also an catch-and-release fisherman.

Daniel McGovern – A graduate of South Kingstown High School (SKHS), Daniel will be attending Carleton College in Northfield, MN. At Carleton, he plans to pursue a major in Environmental Sciences/Geology and Economics. Daniel enjoys hiking, back packing and fishing, he especially appreciates catch-and-release fishing. He loves the outdoors and even participated in an initiative to oil the eggs of Canadian Geese as part of the a wildlife management project. He said it was an exciting experience, until the geese got aggressive (!) Daniel was the elected senior class president of SKHS. He was also captain of the cross-country team and played on the tennis team.

Liam McGovern – A graduate of North Kingstown High School (NKHS). Liam plans to attend the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH., where he intends to major in analytical economics. Liam would like to pursue a career in environmental economics. He has been a consistent member of the NKHS Dean’s List. Liam is an avid fisherman, introduce to fishing by his father,when they would go out almost every weekend. He has been fishing the Narrow river for years – and apparently has had pretty good luck catching fish there. He was amember of the NKHS DECA Business Organization. Liam was also on the NKHS track and field team and the NKHS football team helping the team win two Division 1 Championships.

2021 Narrow River Preservation Association Lesa Meng College Scholarship Awards

Since 1993, Narrow River Preservation Association (NRPA) has awarded scholarships to seniors graduating from high schools in the Narrow River Watershed as part of its Youth Environmental Education Program. This year is no exception. We are very pleased to announce our 2021 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship winners: Shelby Lefoley and Taylor Hurrell

Shelby Lefoley, a graduate of Narragansett High School, will be attending the University of Rhode Island (URI) in Kingston, RI in the fall. She is considering majoring in Marine Biology/Science with a minor in Education. Shelby was an Ocean Science Bowl Team member for four years in high school. A scholarship winner to the Ocean Exploration Navy Science & Technology Summer Program at URI, she was also a member of the Northwest Passage Project’s high school team, where she had an opportunity to present some of her research on climate change effects on the Northwest Passage ecosystem at the American Geophysical Union in Washington, DC. After that trip, she, her teacher and another student co-founded the high school Eco Club, where they have helped reduce plastic waste. Shelby, along with her father, has been a URI Watershed Watch volunteer. Shelby also has her student shell fishing license.

Taylor Hurrell is a recent graduate of South Kingstown High School. She was accepted to the Direct Entry Master of Science in Physician Studies program at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT. Taylor is a National Honor Society member, National Spanish Honor Society member, and a Girl Scout (GS) Gold Award recipient. For her Gold Award project, she installed a medicinal herb garden at Broad Rock Middle School. For her GS Bronze Award she refurbished the nature walk at Tuckerton Park and installed a storybook walk. In 2020, Taylor developed a cloth mask-making operation to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, where she constructed and delivered over 600 masks. In August, Shelby will be traveling to Ghana to help distribute educational healthcare material to women and girls in underprivileged regions.

2020 Narrow River Preservation Association Lesa Meng College Scholarship Awards

2020 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship winners: Edward Blessing, Reneé Fontaine and Clark Swanson.

Edward Blessing, a graduate of Narragansett High School, will be attending the University of Rhode Island in the fall. He is considering majoring in Civil Engineering. Eddie was a member of the National Honor Society and a varsity athlete. He was on the football, basketball and baseball teams all four years. Eddie was the captain of the baseball team (All Divison) and starting quarterback on the football team (All State). Balancing both school and work, Eddie worked as a counselor at Camp Narragansett and as an attendant at Adventureland Family Fun Park. Eddie has been a volunteer coach for Narragansett Little League and has spent many hours volunteering at community events for the Lions Club and Special Olympics.

Reneé Fontaine, a recent graduate of North Kingstown High School, plans to attend Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. She would like to pursue a bachelor’s in health science with the eventual goal of becoming a physicians assistant (PA), perhaps working in pediatric emergency medicine. Reneé already volunteers her time and skill with the Charlestown Ambulance and Rescue Service. In her junior year, Reneé was the NRPA science fair winner at the North Kingstown High School Science Fair. She studied the effects of rising acidification due to climate change on brine shrimp hatching rates. She showed that hatching rates decrease due to the increased acidity levels. She was a four year member of the NK cross country team and enjoys step dancing.

Clark Swanson, a graduate of South Kingstown High School, will be attending the University of Rhode Island, where he is enrolled in the College of Environment and Life Sciences. He hopes to someday to work in an environmental-related field to help combat the effects of climate change. Clark was a member of the Gardening Club, and an advocate for recycling with the Sustainability Club. In September, he became an Eagle Scout of Troop 138 West Kingston. As a boy scout he was awarded the World Conservation Award. Clark was a varsity runner/hurdler and captain of SK’s track team and a member of National Honors Society and Student Council. Clark worked at his family’s cider mill in Jamestown. He also helped plant 300 apple tree saplings for his cousin’s new organic cider orchard. Clark enjoys hiking, kayaking, canoeing, camping, and just spending time outside.

2019 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

Congratulations to our 2019 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship winners: Olivia Kelly, Ben Forman, Quinn Jones and Deanna Phan!

Olivia Kelly, a graduate of South Kingstown High School, was also a 2018 NRPA Science Fair Award Recipient. In addition to many other science awards, she won the prestigious Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair: First Grant for “How Ocean Acidification Affects Oyster Shells”. Olivia plans to attend the URI Pharmacy program. She would like to become a hospital pharmacist where she hopes to participate in alternative, plant based medicine research. One of her science teachers described her as a ‘natural renaissance woman’. She is a swimmer, in the SKHS orchestra and president of the Spanish Club. Olivia is a Girl Scout Gold Award winner, her project connected shut-ins and homebound residents to her church’s weekly services.

Ben Forman, a Narragansett High School graduate will be attending the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, MI in the fall. He plans to pursue a degree in engineering with a potential application towards the environment. Ben also plans to minor in Spanish. Ben is an outstanding student who was leader in many areas, including the schools Environmental Club. He had an internship with the University of RI’s Coastal Resources Center, where he worked on the Narragansett Bay Initiative project. Ben was the Captain of the boys’ tennis team and the math team. He volunteered his time to help struggling math students. Ben also served as an officer of the World Language Honor Society.

Quinn Jones, a graduate of Narragansett High School, will attend Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA in the fall. She plans to pursue a degree in environmental science with a double major in English. She is looking forward to Dickinson, which has a working farm and the school is ranked number one in sustainability. She has been active in local beach cleanups with Clean Ocean Access, where she had an internship and lobbied for banning single use plastic bags. She also ran her own beach cleanup on Second Beach, where she had 40 college students from Asia that did not speak English – all worked out well!

Deanna Phan, a graduate of North Kingstown High School, plans to attend the University of New Hampshire in the fall. She has chosen to major in Wildlife and Conservation Biology. Deanna is passionate about environmental conservation as demonstrated by her active volunteer work. She has been active volunteer for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island focusing on their conservation and stewardship areas. She is currently participating in their Osprey Monitoring Program. She is also a volunteer for the Norman Bird Sanctuary and the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, where she is working on a coyote study.

Congratulations to our 2018 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship winners:

Christina Curci, a graduate of The Prout School will be attending Clarkson University, in the fall. Christina (“CiCi”) plans to study environmental engineering with a focus on renewable energy. She has lived on the river her whole life and has participated in The Save the Bay coastal clean-ups. A member of the school Recycling Club, she worked on providing new water bottle filling stations at her school, to prevent the use of plastic bottles. Cici is also a gifted vocalist who was an integral part of the school choir as well as the captain of the schools dance team.

John McCormack, a North Kingstown High School graduate will be attending Villanova University. He plans to major in biology and environmental science. John (‘Jack’) was a member of the National Honor Society and the Explorers Club. Jack was on the NKHS Varsity Hockey Team since his freshman year and was the Assistant Captain his senior year. He also played Varsity Lacrosse. Jack was a committed participate in VAASA (Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse) where he educated middle school students and peers on the dangers of substance abuse.

Jaqueline Lindstrom, a graduate of South Kingstown High School will be attending the Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA in the fall. She plans to major in either chemistry or physics. Jaqueline (“Jackie”) is a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, where she organized the restoration of the Davisville Middle School courtyard. Jackie also organized yearly beach clean-ups at the East Matunuck Beach. She was president of the National Honor Society, as well as a varsity team volleyball player and gymnastics team member.

Hossam Zaki, also a graduate of South Kingstown High School, plans to attend Brown University in Providence. He was accepted into the 8-year medical program (where he also hopes to earn a PhD.) and expects his undergraduate major to be in computation biology. Since the 9^th grade, Hossam has been a part of the URI Watershed Watch, as a Narrow River monitor. He is an avid fisherman and as a Boy Scout, he has participated in many river clean ups. In addition, Hossam is a talented musician and has participated in a variety of school activities.

2017 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship Recipients“2017 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship Recipients”

Congratulations to the 2017 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarship recipients:

Rosalind Lucier, of South Kingstown High School, will be attending Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA in the fall, where she plans to study biochemistry. She has been a top performer in her SKHS classes and was ranked number 1 in her class. Rosalind was awarded Excellence in AP Biology and Excellence in AP Physics, as well as the Baush and Lomb Honorary Science Award. She is a recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award. For her project, she created a children’s picture book, featuring Mark a talking quahog, who goes on adventures to educate the reader about the factors of climate change in Rhode Island.

Kate DeBoer is also a graduate of South Kingstown High School. Kate is planning on attending the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI. She has been accepted into the 6-year pharmacy program (PharmD). Kate was also a past NRPA Science Fair winner for her work studying water quality. She has organized beach clean-ups at the Narragansett Town Beach. Kate has also earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. Her project focused on encouraging children to eat healthier in order to improve their mental and physical health.

Wyndom Chace, graduated from North Kingstown with the highest ranking in her class and has chosen Williams College in Williamston, MA. She plans to pursue environmental science and chemistry. She was a member of the summer marine research team in the Biology Department at Salve Regina University. She has had an opportunity to present posters at two conferences detailing her work on sea level rise in North Kingstown and a second poster on changes in land use and vegetation in NK. She was a nominee for Save the Bay’s 2016 Walsh Award for Outstanding Environmental Advocacy. Wyndom is also quite an accomplished pianist.

Danielle Donadio, a graduate of Narragansett High School, plans to attend the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH, where she is considering majoring in wildlife biology and conservation. Danielle is an honor student, a varsity athlete and a talented musician. She is a member of the RI Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble. In addition, Danielle is also a Level I Rehabilitator and volunteer at the Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of RI. She helps with feeding and rehabilitation of animals ranging from turtles to opossum and seagulls.

2015 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

Congratulations to this year’s NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarship recipients:

Jacob Baretta, a graduate of South Kingstown High School, will be attending the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He plans to study Oceanography/Marine Biology. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the Italian Honor Society. Jacob has been a volunteer for Save the Bay, a varsity baseball player on the SKHS team, and a volunteer and mentor for the South Kingstown Little League.

Dean Kareemo graduated from North Kingstown High School where he was a National Honor Society member, a member of the NKHS Symphonic Band and a guitar player for his own blues band. Dean will attend the University of Rhode Island and major in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Molecular Biology. Dean is a volunteer for Clean Ocean Access, participating in many beach clean-ups.

Jack Hall, a graduate of Narragansett High School, will study journalism at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. For the past three years, Jack has been a river monitor at Middlebridge for the NRPA River Watch program. He has also been an active participant in the Narragansett Chapter of the Future Farmers of America.

Erin Chille, a graduate of North Kingstown High School, will study Wildlife Conservation and Biology at the University of Rhode Island. Erin was a member of the R.I. Envirothon Team and President of the NKHS Science and Math Investigative Learning Experience (SMILE) team. She is a Girl Scout lifetime member and a Gold Award recipient.

Graduation Season in the Watershed 2014 NRPA Awards Four $1,000 Scholarships

Congratulations to the 2014 NRPA Lesa Meng Scholarship winners: Shannon Emrich and Kyle Sayre of North Kingstown High School, Omar Zaki from South Kingstown High School and Gennifer Keller from Narragansett High School.

Here are some photos from award nights and graduations at the three schools:

Left: Shannon Emrich and Kyle Sayre with NRPA Board member Lynn Wolslegel who presented the awards at North Kingstown High School.

Shannon Emrich will attend the University of Miami in fall. She plans to major in Environmental and Civil Engineering.

Shannon was a member of the NKHS National Honor and Spanish Honor Societies, and was on the indoor and outdoor track and field teams. An animal lover, she has devoted many hours volunteering at the North Kingstown Animal Shelter.

Kyle Sayre will attend the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he plans to major in Environmental and Civil Engineering. Kyle was a varsity athlete in tennis and outdoor track, in addition to being a member of the National Honor and Foreign Language Honor Societies.

Kyle, an active member of the local community through volunteer work, as well as through his participation with Boy Scouts of America. He recently completed his Eagle Scout project.

Right: Sally Sutherland had the honor of presenting the scholarship award to Omar Zaki at South Kingstown High School.

Omar Zaki will be attending Yale University in the fall. He plans to major in applied physics or molecular biochemistry with an eventual goal of MD/PHD.

Omar was a NRPA river monitor for the past four years as well as an earlier NRPA Youth Environmentalist Award winner. In addition, Omar was the Principal Bassoonist at the School’s Top Orchestra, captain of the Academic Decathlon, a varsity swimmer and an Eagle Scout.

Left: Veronica Berounsky congratulates Gennifer Keller at the Narragansett High School graduation.

Gennifer Keller will study environmental science at the University of Rhode Island, which is not surprising as Gennifer was an NRPA water quality monitor and was an active member in Future Farmers of America serving as both a state officer and RI national representative delegate.

Gennifer also competed in the Rhode Island Envirothon, winning First Place in both Soils Competition and Environmental Issues.

2015 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

Ben Lee will study biology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in the fall. He plans to major in biology. Ben has been a river monitor in the NRPA Watershed Watch program and volunteered with the annual Narrow River Turnaround Swim. He was the Captain of Narragansett High School’s National Ocean Science Bowl Team from 2011 to 2013 and a member of the band and cross country team.

Zachary Zuchowski, a varsity soccer player at Narragansett High School, will attend Brown University in the fall, where he plans to major in either molecular biology or biochemistry. For his senior project on human actions and the effect on marine ecosystems, Zach studied and created ecosystem biospheres from fish, snails and algae collected from Narrow River.

Chintanya Gopu will attend Northeastern University in the fall, where she plans to major in Environmental Engineering. Chintanya was a volunteer at the Environmental Protection Agency for two summers and was an active Earth Day participant. At SKHS, she played varsity tennis and participated in numerous school plays.

Rachel Moyer, who is interested in a career in medicine, will attend Lehigh University in the fall. Rachel was a Save the Bay volunteer and a counselor at the Save the Bay Camp. At SKHS, Rachel was a member of the drama club and literary journal, and had a major role in reorganizing the school sailing club.

2012 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

In 2012, NRPA awarded $1,000 scholarships to:

Caitlin Bousquet, a graduate of Narragansett High School, attends to attend Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.

Elizabeth Castro graduated from Narragansett High School and is a first year student at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Annie Hall, a graduate of Narragansett High School, attends Northeastern University in Boston.

Tina Luo graduated from South Kingstown High School and now attends the University of California at Berkeley.

2011 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

Following are the four 2011 recipients, their high schools and where they started their college careers:

Victoria Gallogly, The Prout School, University of Vermont

Margaret King, North Kingstown High School, Lesley University

Elena Suglia, North Kingstown High School, Brown University

Edward Trowbridge, Narragansett High School, University of Vermont

2010 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

Following are the four 2010 recipients, their high schools and where they started their college careers:

Jennifer Castro, Narragansett High School, University of Rhode Island

Alice Toll, North Kingstown High School

Clifton Bueno de Mesquita, South Kingstown High School, Middlebury College

Stacey Moskwa, The Prout School, Cornell University

2009 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

There were three scholarships awarded in 2009:

Elizabeth Elmstrom, South Kingstown High School

Elizabeth Lee, Narragansett High School

Shane McNamara, Narragansett High School

2008 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

There were three scholarships awarded in 2008:

Matthew Berry, North Kingstown High School

Dana Sarubbi, Narragansett High School

Marleana Peabody, South Kingstown High School

2007 NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarships

Brett Cook, Narragansett High School

Catherine Coupland, South Kingstown High School

2006 NRPA College Scholarships

Mario Forte, Narragansett High School

Allison Malo, North Kingstown High

2005 NRPA College Scholarships

Jesse Malo, North Kingstown High

Jacqueline VanSant, Narragansett High School

2004 NRPA College Scholarships

Rosalinda Fortier, Narragansett High School

Kevin Smith, North Kingstown High School

2003 NRPA College Scholarships

Kyle Marshall, Narragansett High School

Lindsey Casagrande, South Kingstown High School

2002 NRPA College Scholarships

James Bruneau, North Kingstown High School

Drew Lorenc, Narragansett High School

Christopher Nunes, South Kingstown High School

2001 NRPA College Scholarships

Alison Marshall, Narragansett High School

Ryan Murphy, South Kingstown High School

Timothy Smith, North Kingstown High School

2000 NRPA College Scholarships

Megan Dyer, Narragansett High School

Thomas Hale, South Kingstown High School

1999 NRPA College Scholarships

Abby Davis, Narragansett High School

Charlotte Nunes, South Kingstown High School

John Tarasevich, South Kingstown High School

1998 NRPA College Scholarships

Jessica Gronvold, Narragansett High School

Lauren Rainer, North Kingstown High School

Rebecca White, South Kingstown High School

1997 NRPA College Scholarships

Kelly Knee, South Kingstown High School

Seneca Lacombe, Narragansett High School

Derrick Meyer, North Kingstown High School

1996 NRPA College Scholarships

Heather Damon, Narragansett High School

Nicole Bucka, North Kingstown High School

Leah Meyer, South Kingstown High School

Aimee Patnoad, The Prout School

1995 NRPA College Scholarships

Maria Reppucci, Narragansett High School

Michael Blitzer, North Kingstown High School

Nikki Kostarides, South Kingstown High School

Kathleen McHugh, South Kingstown High School

Since 1993, NRPA has awarded scholarships to seniors graduating from high schools in the Narrow River Watershed as part of its Youth Environmental Education Program.

In 2007, the scholarship was renamed the NRPA Lesa Meng College Scholarship in honor of a former NRPA Board member who passed away in 2006. Lesa Meng served on the Board for six years and was chair of the Narrow River Road Race committee during that time. Her husband, Rick Moffitt, and friends provided additional funding for the scholarship, enabling NRPA to increase the scholarship awards to $1,000 beginning in 2008. Mr. Moffitt continues making donations to support the scholarship fund, and we would more than welcome contributions from others to the fund.

The scholarship applications are judged on:

The student’s environmentally oriented activities in and out of high school
The quality of an original essay that answers this prompt: “Choose one environmental problem/issue relevant to the Narrow River and discuss what you as an individual could do to mitigate the problem”
Science teacher’s recommendation
Academic achievement in math and science courses.

Applications for the scholarship are available from the Guidance Department at each of the high schools in the watershed: Narragansett, North Kingstown, Prout, and South Kingstown and are due in April each year.

About Lesa Meng

Lesa Meng – Environmental Scientist and Advocate

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Lesa Meng grew up splitting her time between Greenwich Village, New York and suburban Detroit, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Lesa had an adventurous spirit from a young age. She navigated Manhattan like a pro, and was the mother hen to her two younger sisters, always providing wisdom and patience.

Lesa finished high school in Michigan, but the lure of New York took her to Bard College. From there she travelled the world as she fed her need to explore.

Lesa was an incredible writer. Her poetry is published. Her worldwide travel enhanced her writing. But it was her adventurous soul that distinguished her. This led her to the West Coast, where she opened and operated a small hotel in northern California. She then settled in Davis, California, where she embarked on her studies and career in Marine Biology. She received her doctorate at UC-Davis. From there, she worked for the State of California EPA and explored the most remote oceans and island sea life in pursuit of answers to our environmental challenges.

Lesa’s work at the EPA in California provided her tremendous satisfaction. But, it was the move back to her Northeastern roots to Narragansett, Rhode Island that gave her life the depth and purpose that define her legacy.

The species indigenous to the Narrow River were Lesa Meng’s heart. The lucky interns who learned from her can attest to her contributions. The Narrows were more a part of Lesa than any other place in the world. The joy she experienced in her fish studies and the life she and her beloved husband Rick enjoyed define her. Lesa’s life was cut short, but she left an indelible mark on Narragansett and, most importantly, her beloved Narrow River.

In 2009, NRPA awarded Lesa (posthumously) and her husband Rick Moffitt NRPA’s Annual Friend of the River Award.

Throughout her career, Lesa earned the respect of colleagues and peers. The following remarks were offered by Giancarlo Cicchetti, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Ecology Division, Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI in 2007.

Lesa Meng and her work in habitat conservation.

Lesa Meng worked extensively on habitat conservation throughout her career as a fish ecologist, and her contributions to this field are remarkably wide-ranging. Lesa worked in California and in the Northeastern United States, as well as in the Pacific Islands and the Seychelles. She applied a variety of advanced statistical approaches to data collected with number of methods including trawls, ichthyoplankton samplers, growth cages, seine surveys, lift nets, drop rings, and camera gear. She worked in particular with suites of native and introduced fishes in California, with winter flounder and estuarine fish communities in the Northeast, and with reef fish communities in the tropics. Lesa published work on fish life history stages from ichthyoplankton to juvenile to adult. The habitats she studied range from highly urbanized estuaries to coral reefs, and include every estuarine habitat along the entire salinity gradient on both coasts. Several of Lesa’s projects on both U.S. coasts (and five of her many publications) contributed to her view that the upper reaches of estuaries provide important fish nursery habitat even when severely altered or urbanized. Lesa argued that, given adequate DO, even highly developed urban estuaries support significant juvenile fish abundances, and that these often-undervalued areas of estuaries need protection. Her ideas have been influential in the coastal and estuarine science and management community, and her data have been directly used in environmental decision-making. Lesa Meng’s influences continue to shape our understanding and conservation of fish habitat in a wide variety of ways.

2022 Narrow River Preservation Association Lesa Meng College Scholarship Awards

2021 Narrow River Preservation Association Lesa Meng College Scholarship Awards