SCHOLARSHIP

Sponsored by the West Hartford Democrats, the Kleinman & O’Toole Scholarship is awarded to a West Hartford high school senior who has displayed academic excellence and community service that reflects Democratic values.

In awarding this scholarship annually, the West Hartford Democrats honor the memory of residents who served this community and our party with distinction. Harry Kleinman served as Chair of the West Hartford Democratic Town Committee for several years and was involved in local politics for over 40 years. He and his wife, Ruth, were involved in numerous community activities. Another former Town Committee Chair, Rae O’Toole, was a staunch believer in social justice, active in the labor movement, and a harsh critic of American foreign policy, particularly as it related to military interventions in the Middle East.

Students interested in applying for the Kleinman & O’Toole Scholarship should contact their guidance counselor to review all the criteria. Recipients are announced before graduation.

Previous winners:

2023: Bethany Kim (Conard), Caitlin Striff-Cave (Hall)

2022: Lily Kluskiewicz (Conard), Lauren Bell (Hall), William Kollen (Hall)

2021: Eleanor Khan (Conard), Lillian Sweeney (Hall)

2020: Caroline Kumpa (Conard), Isabella Galm (Hall)

2019: Alexandra Stiber (Conard), Lindley Gorman (Conard), Megan Striff-Cave (Hall)

2018: Maeve Maloney (Conard), Grace Burns (Conard), Jessica Xu (Hall)

2017: Adam Giroux (Conard), Olivia Starr (Conard), Ilana Davidoff (Hall)

2016: Pei Ivins (Conard), Madeline DeFilippis (Hall), Amanda Youmans (Hall)

2015: Anna Schone (Conard), Jacob Cantor (Hall)

2014: Emma Briggs (Conard), Ethan Swain (Hall), Murtaza Zaidi (Hall)

2013: Tess Woods (Conard), Zachary Roth (Hall), Aaron Meyers-Weinerman (Hall)