PAUL AND PAM RESSLER
The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle Donors,
The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle Nick Ressler Memorial Scholarship Fund
Nick’s education in the Concord Public Schools helped shape his life in very positive ways and nurtured his love of learning. We established the Nick Ressler Scholarship Fund in 2005, to commemorate Nick’s classmates’ high school graduation year.
Nick was well-loved in Concord, and the greater community was generous in wanting to establish a living memorial for him – one that would benefit the community that had held us all so close. We knew we wanted to set up a scholarship, but we were uncertain how to structure it. We came to realize that we couldn’t manage all the administration on our own, and knew that the structure of a community-based scholarship affords much more than a family fund could have. We met with The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle Trustees Al Powers and Molly Eberle and had a good conversation. It was clear to us what the scholarship selection criteria should be: to help out students with Nick’s renaissance spirit and strengths. He was a true scholar who loved learning, loved people, and was very adept at so many things, from academics to sports, music, leadership, and the arts.
We started out wanting the scholarship to exist in perpetuity, and we saw that there were many benefits in having The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle administer it – through managing the application process, the selection process, the investment of the endowment, and all the other aspects of administration. Even though the recipient may not know the named person or even the family as the years go on, Nick’s story will be remembered throughout the community. The Concord community will benefit from the kindness and generosity that was given to us.
We have met many of the recipients over the years and found them to be extremely grateful and articulate kids, and we have been very pleased. A recent example is Jack Struck, who truly embodied Nick’s qualities, and when we of Concord and Carlisle brunch, we had a lot of fun talking to them about Nick. It is wonderful to share stories, and it is a connection across time for which we are very thankful.
The recipients have certainly been lovely to us and we have been impressed with their plans and what they hope to do. We deliberately started the scholarship the year Nick was to graduate, to symbolize Nick’s graduating with his class. We actually got to present the first scholarship at the 2005 CCHS graduation ceremony. Nick’s class had asked the principal if we could be seated with the class, which was really nice. When the class had been in eighth grade, we had made buttons with Nick’s picture on them and gave them to the class, and they all wore them on the eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. Also many of the kids wore baseball hats from Nick’s collection to embody his spirit being with them. When his classmates graduated from CCHS in 2005, it was very meaningful to see the kids in their graduation gowns with their Nick Pins from four years earlier pinned to their gowns.
The first Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle Nick Ressler Scholarship winner was Jason Pan, who had been Nick’s classmate. He was a great kid – a great student, a saxophone player, and he very much embodied Nick’s spirit. He started a software company his junior year at CCHS and was headed off to Harvard.
When someone dies very young, before having a chance to reach their full potential, a concern is whether they will be remembered. We are very grateful that this community has allowed us to leave a legacy for Nick who had loved this town, the schools, and learning – a legacy not just for us but for the community, stretching into the future. In this case, we are hoping that Nick’s light is passed on to each of these scholarship recipients.
It has also been an unexpected opportunity to join the board of The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle – taking an active role in meeting the students and participating in interviewing students for scholarships. I [Paul] have found it particularly rewarding to see the Abby Fund come to fruition because I was a mentor to its founders in setting up that fund back when they did not know if it would succeed in becoming fully funded as a viable scholarship and part of The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle. We also appreciate having our family become a part of The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle community – the donors, the recipients, the named funds and the board – it has all been very gratifying. It is really nice that over the years when we run into recipients’ parents, they make the effort to keep us in touch with the paths of the recipients. Nick’s scholarship has gifted us with relationships beyond even the one-on-one with the recipients, and has given us a connection with the whole family.