Future English teacher receives Craig P. Hutchinson Memorial Scholarship

Independent Martial Arts School black belt Kaylee Barchard has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Craig P. Hutchinson Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship award, in the amount of $15,000, was announced on April 18 at the Independent Martial Arts School Tournament at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, N.H.

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The Craig P. Hutchinson Memorial Scholarship was established in 1993 to honor an outstanding student and instructor at the Independent Karate School, predecessor of the Independent Martial Arts School (IMAS). Tragically, Hutchinson died from complications of mononucleosis during his sophomore year at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Students at IMAS, located at 138 Lake Street in Nashua, are eligible to apply for the scholarship (in support of post-secondary education) once they have attained the rank of first-degree black belt. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of character, academic performance, community involvement, and financial need.

Ms. Barchard, a second-degree black belt at IMAS, is a graduating senior at Hollis Brookline High School. In addition to serving as a volunteer IMAS instructor, she serves as a Unified Sports partner at Hollis Brookline, helping special needs students to participate in athletics. She is also the co-founder and president of the school’s National English Honor Society.

To fulfill her goal of becoming an English teacher, Ms. Barchard plans to complete a five-year program at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, leading to both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.

“Kaylee has set a fine example of focus and dedication for our younger students,” said Michael Susalka, a headmaster at IMAS and a member of the scholarship’s Board of Directors. “Her desire to serve is exactly what we try to instill in our black belts, and we couldn’t be prouder to support her future path.”

The Independent Martial Arts School offers self-defense classes for children and adults on Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings. For more information on the school and on the Craig P. Hutchinson Scholarship, see: https://www.imasnh.com/