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Elyse D.H. Barnard

Biography

Highlights of Young Scholar Experience: There’s a code among Young Scholars, that select group of youngsters who know they’ve been given a special opportunity in life.  Even at a young age they know they have a responsibility to give back to a society that in many cases hasn’t been very giving to them.  Elyse Barnard lives that code every day, giving of herself and her talents wherever she can, a model for current and future Young Scholars.  In addition to the many workshops nationally and internationally she participated in, perhaps the most important advantage of her Young Scholar status was being able to attend a prestigious prep school in Maine.

Profile:  Elyse describes herself as a “global citizen,” meaning her love of her neighbors knows no political or geographical boundaries.  It has been that way since she was a child always trying to help her classmates in grade school solve their problems.  In fact one of her teachers lovingly called her “our little psychiatrist.”  At Gould Academy, a private preparatory school in rural Maine, Elyse’s love for foreign cultures was broadened, especially when her freshman class traveled to China.  That trip “literally opened up the world to me.” Besides the eye-opening journey to Asia, Elyse distinguished herself in and out of the classroom at Gould.  Her participation in numerous musical groups, theater arts, sports along with community volunteering made her campus life a whirlwind of exciting times and opportunities.  As one of her teachers said of Elyse:  “She is motivated and driven and is a truly special individual.”

Inspiration: Throughout Elyse’s high school career there were two teachers, Monsieur and Madame Leff, “who truly influenced my life.” Not only did the couple “stimulate my interest in foreign languages and encourage me to be an ESL and French tutor, they also took me under their wings when my mother’s health was uncertain at home.”  Elyse said it best: “Merci beaucoup, Mr. et Mme!”

Aspiration:  While “not 100% sure yet” what her eventual career path will be, Elyse’s current dream is to start a green energy company in China. “I know that I definitely want to do something on an international scale.”

Making a Difference: Elyse is a self-proclaimed perfectionist and jokingly calls herself the little engine that could.  The young lady feels that if she puts her mind to it, she can accomplish anything.  That can-do spirit was evident at her alma mater and throughout the communities where she has lived and volunteered, particularly with the “Gould Academy Goodies Gang”, a service organization she founded on campus, as well as the Gould Academy Reach-Out Program.

Accolades:  The young Maine native received countless academic and community awards over the years – most significant were the Phi Beta Kappa award and earning the lead in numerous stage productions at Gould.  In addition she won the Annie Daley Courchesne Award which celebrated Gould Academy student involvement in Social, Political and Environmental causes as well as the Ouwinga Citizenship Award for humanitarianism.

Interesting Fact:  Elyse is “obsessed” with making origami cranes – she’s made them for art and service purposes “and for fun too.”

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