Conrad Gees retired from the Wayland Public Schools in 2013 after 33 years of teaching in the community, 20 of which were spent as a special educator at both the high school and elementary levels while 13 years of which were spent as a fifth-grade teacher at Happy Hollow School. His greatest joy came from helping students discover who they were as learners and thinkers and how they could fit into their community. This award is presented to a student who has a love of learning and sharing ideas despite facing challenges in a traditional learning environment.

The Islamic Center of Boston (ICB) has been a part of the Wayland community since 1986. The ICB Award is given to students who have demonstrated dedication to promoting peace and acceptance. The ICB hopes to encourage and support students who strive towards building relationships that cross boundaries of religion, race, or ethnicity and who work towards dispelling prejudice and discrimination.

The Cindy Lombardo Memorial Award was created in memory of Cindy Lombardo, a resident of Wayland for 34 years. Cindy was passionate about the town of Wayland and always wanted to give back to her community. “What would Cindy Do?” is a phrase often heard around town. From her work with the school and building committees, to her passion for enriching the METCO program, she was always looking to strengthen the town in every way possible. One of her passions and greatest joys was sitting on the scholarship committee. Interviewing students and providing them with an opportunity to go to college and achieve their dreams was at the heart of who she was. She saw so much potential in each child and knew the weight of responsibility she had and took pride in it. Cindy was instrumental in developing the Wayland to Waveland initiative after Hurricane Katrina and saw it as an opportunity for the community that she loved to really impact another community in need. Cindy’s heart was always in a place of helping others and giving back. The Lombardo family wishes to honor her legacy by recognizing a student who has made giving back to others and strengthening the Wayland community part of their core.

This award is named for the Honorable Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve on the United States Supreme court. As counsel for the NAACP, he played a leading role in the struggle to extend equal protection of the law to Americans of all races. During his service as Judge of the U.S. Circuit Court, Solicitor General of the United States, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, he provided a forceful message of support for the rights of all minorities and under-represented groups. He spoke against all forms of discrimination, among them discrimination of the basis of race, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, age, and disabilities. The award is given to a student who has worked actively to eliminate discrimination and promote harmony within the community, by word or deed.

Eliza J. Norton was a Claypit Hill student who we lost too soon in September 2022 at just 10 years old. Eliza was a fierce supporter of her friends and teammates and had a talent for connecting with everyone she met. Described by teammates and coaches as fearless, dedicated, and the ultimate team player, Eliza did whatever she could to protect her team. She was the girl that everyone looked forward to seeing at the rink or field and she always had a huge smile and positive attitude. Coaches held up her actions as examples to others. The recipient of this award honors Eliza’s memory by sharing her love of competitive sports, including hockey and softball, and her strong demonstrations of friendship and kindness.

The Outstanding METCO Student Award is presented annually to a student in the METCO program who has traveled between their home in Boston and their school in Wayland for most of their academic career. This award acknowledges the sacrifices made and challenges overcome during their long days in pursuit of educational opportunities. The student who receives this award shows academic promise, participates in both communities to which they belong, and is committed to learning through shared experiences.

This award has been established to recognize the 30 years of dedication that legendary Coach Rick Moyer has given to the students and athletes at Wayland High School. Rick was a guidance counselor and spent the last 10 years of his career at WHS as the Athletic Director, retiring in 1997. Rick coached the WHS Wrestling Team and was also a collegiate wrestling champion himself. Rick played a major role in developing Wayland Youth Sports, encouraging young athletes to create personal goals on and off the playing fields. This award is given to a student-athlete who has volunteered their time to Wayland Youth Sports and has demonstrated the qualities that Coach Moyer brought to the athletes and their families in Wayland throughout his career, such as commitment to the sport, respect of teammates, dedication to their studies, and an appreciation for the strong foundation Wayland has provided them. For a student who will always remember their “Great Life Experience.”

This award is given in loving remembrance of Sarah Pryor. Nine-year-old Sarah moved with her family to Wayland from Pennsylvania in 1985. That September, her brother and sister enrolled in Wayland High School and Sarah started fourth grade at Claypit Hill Elementary School. Six weeks later, on October 9th, Sarah was abducted while she walked on a beautiful fall day. Sarah was found after the valiant efforts of hundreds of people and was laid to rest on what would have been her 22nd birthday, January 13, 1998. This award honors a student who, like Sarah, is enthusiastic about life, compassionate, and always eager to help. Sarah worked best in the background, never pushing into the limelight, taking all the glory. She encouraged, supported, and helped from the sidelines. Sarah loved her family, life, and lived every moment to the fullest. She was filled with faith, hope, and love.

Established in memory of Paul E. Robsham. Awarded to a student who pledges to live substance free as a student scholar, out of respect for the gifts of mind and body and has demonstrated this interest through activities, community service or personal statement.

Fred Ruland was a long-time Wayland resident, and two of his four children attended the Wayland School system. Fred was all about living and loving big, and he had a lot of loves: invention, ingenuity, thinking big, mentoring, scuba diving, sailing, flying, and, most of all, his family and friends. Fred built a boat as a child and earned his pilot’s license for both planes and helicopters. This passion for invention and engineering lasted throughout his life: after earning degrees in Finance and Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University, Fred launched a number of businesses, secured multiple patents, and even built a castle. The recipient of the Frederick Ruland Award shares the characteristics that defined Fred: kindness, generosity, compassion, curiosity, courage, and a zest for life.

Kathy Sherry was a dedicated special education teacher and department chair at Wayland High School from June 1999 through May 2014. Kathy also served as the teacher-coach of the Wayland High School Mock Trial team from 2007 to 2016. Kathy was a kind and supportive professional who always found ways to help her students push themselves to reach their full potential. They all knew that Kathy was always ready with a kind word and big smile. Kathy was one of those rare souls who always left you feeling better about yourself. This scholarship goes to a student from the Special Education Program or the Mock Trial team who demonstrates a commitment for hard work and self-improvement while also reaching out to help other students, members of the Wayland community, family or friends, or other communities of interest outside of Wayland.

Colin and his family were residents of Wayland for 56 years, where his three children and two grandsons were well launched by Wayland High School.  As a professor of Chemistry at Brandeis University, Colin inspired his students, undergraduate, graduate, and post-doc toward excellence in science, whether academic or applied.  He also placed great value on quality, compassionate care for anyone at the end of life, and particularly appreciated the role of nursing in such care.  This scholarship is for a graduate who is aiming for a career in the sciences, particularly in nursing.

The Pam Washek Memorial Scholarship was created by her family and friends to honor Pam Washek, a long-time Wayland resident who created the local Wayland Angels program, which evolved into the nationally-recognized Neighborhood Brigade. The award is given to a student who has been devoted to community service, especially one who has tried to make a difference in their home community, in the spirit that Pam espoused of “neighbors helping neighbors.”

This award has been established as a memorial to Jeremy Scott Weiner. Jeremy graduated from Wayland High School in 1986. He was attending George Washington University when he died tragically in an automobile accident in November 1988 at the age of 20. Jeremy cared about people and loved to travel and spent his junior year of high school and the year after high school studying in Spain. Jeremy had many devoted friends in Wayland, Washington, D.C., and in Spain and had many special times with them. Part of Jeremy’s legacy was the value he placed on those friendships and his ability to transcend cultural boundaries. He had a love for Spain and naturally immersed himself in the Spanish culture and language and people. Consequently, Jeremy’s family and many friends here and abroad want to remember him by establishing this award for a student interested in international study and travel.

Bill Zimmerman was superintendent of the Wayland Public Schools for 23 years, retiring in 1994. This award has been established in his honor by colleagues, friends, and parents of the Wayland Public School children. During his tenure, the Wayland school system was recognized as being in the top one half of one percent of excellent schools in the United States, as determined by the United States Department of Education. Dr. Zimmerman served for 20 years on the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, two of them as President. His passion for wrestling was well known and he could often be seen at practices and meets. From 1976 through 1994, he served on the Massachusetts interscholastic State Wrestling committee. Dr. Zimmerman was also an avid musician and often played his trumpet at school concerts, plays, and town events, as well as with his own musical quartet. Dr. Zimmerman exemplifies the best qualities in an educator – commitment to excellence, focus, a strong value system, high standards, and integrity.