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ANDOVER—Kelly X. Fox of Windham, N.H., a senior at Phillips Academy who has excelled in the classroom, on the stage and on the court, has been selected as a 2008 Presidential Scholar in an announcement made late last week by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Fox is one of 139 outstanding American high school seniors who have demonstrated “exceptional academic achievement, leadership, citizenship, service and contributions to school and community.”
The students represent one female and one male from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. families living abroad. In addition, 15 are chosen at-large and 20 are designated Presidential Scholar in the Arts for their artistic excellence. Fox was chosen to represent New Hampshire. She has been captain of the varsity basketball team; manager of the varsity field hockey team; and a member of crew, the Hippocratic Society, and Girl Scouts. She is also an award-winning pianist. She will attend Brown University next year to study biology and chemistry; she already has taken Brown’s course “So You Want to Be a Doctor” and participated in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at Babson College.
Fox said that her Andover education has had a considerable impact on her ability to work toward her career goal to practice medicine. “Phillips Academy has made me far more conscientious as well as knowledgeable,” she explained, “and has taught me how to take care of myself, make the right choices and gain a real sense of responsibility.”
Presidential Scholars were asked to name their most inspiring and challenging teacher. Fox chose Andover chemistry instructor David Stern, Ph.D., who has had a multi-faceted career in industry and management, as well as academia. Before joining the Andover science faculty in 2001, Stern worked as a manager and senior staff scientist in the private sector and as a senior scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency. He also taught chemistry at Tufts University and Smith College, among other schools.
Fox said Stern has “an infectious passion for chemistry, which fostered in me a profound interest in the sciences, and helped me discover what I truly want to do with my life—which is to become a family physician.” Stern will receive a Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education.
Stern clearly has enjoyed having Fox in the classroom. "In my chemistry 300 class, it was easy to see that Kelly stood out as a quick and capable learner in a class full of highly motivated students," Stern said. " I am so very proud of this most modest student-athlete and thrilled that she was able to win such a prestigious award."
The students were chosen by a 29-member Commission on Presidential Scholars appointed by President Bush from a group of more than 3,000 candidates qualified on the basis of SAT and ACT scores, or by nomination through the nationwide youngARTS™ program conducted by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.
Fox and her family will travel to Washington D.C. in June for a week of events and awards ceremonies. She said that in addition to looking forward to meeting other Presidential Scholars, “meeting the President is a nice little added bonus.”
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