BULLDOG PRIDE AWARD BRIEF 2026
The ORR Bulldog Pride Alumni Association (BPAA) wishes to recognize two (2) graduating seniors of the Class of 2026 by virtue of their pride for ORR. These two graduating seniors may go unnoticed because of the unsung values that are often missed by scholastic or athletic merit-based awards.
Through recognition of students who passionately support their peers in school activities, the BPAA promotes kindness and good will towards others, as the pathway to acceptance and inclusion. This is the spirit of the Bulldog Pride Award.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Unique to the Bulldog Pride Award, the profile of successful candidates features:
- active participation in and leadership of the ORR community;
- championing of fellow students, the class and ORR;
- passionate support of peers and engagement in the ORR community.
ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST
The students must meet the following criteria to be considered for the award:
❶ Enrolled at Old Rochester Regional High School for at least three academic years prior to graduation.
❷ Be in good standing with attendance and conduct.
❸ Demonstrate a record of pride for the school and the class through service to the school either through active volunteer participation in scholastic volunteer activities (e.g. student government, clubs) and/or through participation in school-based athletic, music, performing and/or visual art activities.
❹ Possess the qualities of leading from behind, fair play and teamwork, as established through the candidate’s activities. In short, this candidate is a champion of fellow students.
❺ The student will have been accepted to study at a two- or four-year college/university or will be participating in a gap-year experience.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
❶ Call for Applications (February 2026)
The award announcement will be made by the BPAA through the Guidance Department of ORRHS.
❷ Submission of Applications (February-April 2026)
Applicants are required to submit the application digitally. Once an application is submitted, the student will automatically receive visual notification at the end of the digital application that it has been accepted for review. Please note that applicants who do not complete the digital application in its entirety will not receive visual notification. In other words, if the applicant does not receive visual notification this indicates that the application has not been submitted.
❸ Submission Deadline
The digital platform closes on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
HOW WE GET TO THE WINNER(S)
❶ Assessment Criteria
The criteria for assessing the candidate shall be based on the following four profiles: (1) student activity; (2) leadership; (3) athletic, music and the arts; (4) academic. With a view towards understanding the candidate’s overall impact within the ORR community, the candidate’s community engagement, peer awards and academic distinctions bestowed are surveyed. If necessary, additional perspective will be gathered from the applicant’s supporters. The applicant’s personal statement and future plans tell the personal story.
❷ Selection Process
The selection of the award winners is carried out in five phases:
PHASE I: Preliminary Review of Application
Once the application has been received, the chair of the scholarship committee (SC) will screen the application to ensure that all digital material is ready for review by SC members. The chair may request additional information or clarification at this time, including access to social media profiles marked as private. In these cases, by decision of the executive committee (EC), only the chair will request access and assess the applicant’s engagement based on established, objective criteria. Failure to respond to written requests by the stated time or to provide access to private profiles will result in the application being withdrawn from the review process.
PHASE II: Application Assessment
The SC chair reports to the committee the names of the candidates, once the digital platform closes. Members are required to recuse themselves from reviewing candidates with whom they are or have been connected directly or indirectly. The chair randomly allocates the applications to members for assessment. Each application will be reviewed transparently by at least two and not more than three SC members, based on established criteria. Once members have digitally submitted their assigned assessments, the chair and vice chair compile the results and the candidates are ranked according to the assessment score total. Based on the aggregate scoring of all candidates’ applications, the top-ranked candidates are declared as finalists and are invited to an interview.
Phase III: Interview of Finalists
The selected finalists will be interviewed by members of the SC, in an effort to give each candidate an opportunity to tell their story beyond the application. The finalists are scored according to answers given in the interview to pre-determined questions.
Phase IV: SC Decision and Recommendation
A final determination on the winning candidate is made by all committee members once the scores of the application assessment and interview have been aggregated.
Phase V: Executive Committee (EC) Determination
The SC then presents its recommendations to the EC, providing all supporting documentation of the selection process, including the applications of the finalists for review. The EC will review the applications and review the report of the SC chair, determining that the process has been carried out fairly and transparently. The EC determination is final. This committee reserves the right to amend or change the terms of the award at their discretion, without prior notice.
❸ Announcement of the 2026 Bulldog Pride Award winners
The successful candidate(s) name(s) will be announced on or before Friday, May 29, 2026.
DISBURSEMENT OF THE 2026 AWARD
The 2026 award will be given in one payment to the announced recipient(s) in the amount of $1500, no later than November 1st, 2026. Winners must guarantee that this prize be used exclusively for academic or related expenses (in the case of a gap-year experience).
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE 2025-2026
Chair:
Michelle (Gayoski) Tackitt ’87, BPAA Vice President |B.A. ‘91, UNH | MSW ‘97, Temple
Deputy Chair:
Danielle (Briggs) Brightman ’87 | B.A. ’91, UMass-Dartmouth | MBA ‘98, UMass
Members:
- Tom Fletcher ‘88, | B.A. ’92, Babson College
- Gracanne Zenga ‘87
- Thomas Xenopoulos Peccini ’88, BPAA President | B.A. ‘93, M.A. ‘97, Rutgers
- Brett Fortin ’87 | B.A. ’91, UMass-Dartmouth
- Lisa (Gayoski) Garabedian ‘85 | B.A. ’89, MBA ‘96 Suffolk