NFA’s Wang wins scholarship, ‘full ride’ to Brown
Senior to receive tuition, room, board and fees for 4 years
Norwich — Escorted from her economics class to the Norwich Free Academy school office Friday afternoon, senior Felicity Wang entered hesitatingly into the room crowded with school officials and a few strangers.
A shy smile came to her face within seconds after learning that she would be the recipient of the Sidney Frank Memorial Scholarship — a four- year “full ride” scholarship funded by the internationally famous business entrepreneur and 1938 NFA graduate.
“Thank you,” Wang, 18, said quietly as cameras snapped and teachers and administrators offered congratulations.
“What this means for you: No worries,” Kathy McCarthy, NFA director of institutional advancement, told the senior.
The scholarship will pay tuition, room, board and fees for four years for Wang, who plans to attend Brown University this fall after she graduates from NFA. The scholarship is awarded every four years, following one student at a time, attending one of the top 75 ranked universities in the country, McCarthy said. Wang is the third recipient.
Reading from a press release announcing the scholarship, Klein said Frank, son of a Montville farmer, attended Brown after graduating from NFA. “But family finances forced him to leave after his first semester,” Klein read. He never returned to college.
“So this is even more meaningful, because of your choice of college,” Klein said.
Wang said she plans to study economics and history and hopes to enter the field of law. She said she chose Brown because it is a diversity university – “like here” – and offers students free rein to explore differ- ent fields of study. Her favorite class at the moment is English, she said.
Wang grew up in Norwich and attended the Thomas Mahan School and Teachers’ Memorial Middle School before NFA. With a full slate of honors and advanced classes, she ranks as one of the top students in her senior class with high honors. She also participates in numerous extracurricular activities and is an accomplished pianist.
“You are going to be a great ambassador for this academy,” Klein said. “We could not be more proud of you.”
Ronald Noyes, her school counselor for the past three years, said she
is “incredibly deserving” of the scholarship and called her a serious, dedicated student who always takes a full course load each year.
“With all the superlatives,” Noyes said.
Students with qualifying academic standing are invited to apply for the Sidney Frank Scholarship by their guidance counselors, NFA spokesman Geoffrey Serra said.
Her parents, mother Soman Wang and father Hua Bao Wang, own the longtime Norwich restaurant King Wah Chinese Restaurant on West Main Street in Norwich.
Klein offered his desk, chair and phone to Wang to call her parents to tell them about the award.
“Hey mom!” she started, continuing the conversation in a mixture of Chinese and English. “Thank you,” she said at the end. “Love you too.”
“She was overwhelmed, too,” Wang said of her mother’s reaction.