Lilah Bartholomew Named Kearsarge Regional High School March Student of the Month 

NEW LONDON — Superintendent John Fortney and Principal Charles Langille are pleased to announce that senior Lilah Bartholomew has been named Kearsarge Regional High School’s (KRHS) Student of the Month for March.

The Student of the Month is selected by Kearsarge faculty from a pool of nominated students. This honor is in recognition of the student’s positive conduct and character, both on and off campus, and is an acknowledgment of the individual’s positive moral character and contributions to the school community.

Bartholomew, a senior from Warner, was selected for this honor based on nominations from school staff and faculty.

“Lilah is wonderfully deserving of this honor! She is the epitome of the KRSD Portrait of a Learner. She is super caring. She is incredibly conscientious, always does everything you ask of her and then some. She is also very curious,” said Math Teacher Persis Wirkkala. “She is taking a class that has nothing to do with her future plans, but she makes sure she understands every nuance of the work we do and the concepts we cover. They are very challenging for her, but she perseveres and comes in a lot for extra help and with excellent questions. She is a joy to teach and to know!”

In her four years at KRHS, Bartholomew creatively immersed herself in the school community through extracurriculars such as the Kearsarge Actors Guild, National Honor Society, and Art Club. She is also a student teacher for visual arts students.

She also participates in Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation competition, and has competed in the state finals for three years, earning one runner-up title.

Bartholomew also won a silver medal for her writing portfolio in the Scholastic National Writing Contest. The contest included 110,000 participants from students across the United States and Canada. Out of all the participants, six students were awarded a gold portfolio, and six were awarded a silver portfolio, placing Bartholomew in the top 12 entries. Her portfolio included two poems, two short stories and two pieces of flash fiction. Bartholomew will receive her award during a ceremony in New York in June.

“Lilah Bartholomew is a talented artist and writer whose creativity shines in everything she does. A quiet leader, Lilah sets a strong example through her kindness, dedication, and thoughtful presence in our school community,” said School Counselor Kristine Turcotte.

Bartholomew would like to recognize English Teacher Lisa Cicoria for guiding her through the process of entering writing contests.

One of Bartholomew’s most rewarding learning experiences was attending the Pre-College program at Smith College for creative writing.

” It was an amazing experience to spend two weeks with people that shared my passion for writing,” said Bartholomew. “I learned so much from meeting new people from other places and enjoyed hearing their stories as well as their fictional writing.’

Bartholomew will soon be attending Smith College and pursuing a degree in English and Creative Writing, with the intent of eventually working as a developmental editor for novels.

Bartholomew would also like to recognize Wirkkala and Art Teacher Taylor Balla for their encouragement and guidance over the years.

“Ms. Wirkkala has been an amazing teacher this year in my AP Calculus class. That’s a class that I didn’t anticipate taking, and Ms. Wirkkala’s encouragement and support has made something that seemed intimidating to be enjoyable and challenging,” said Bartholomew.

“Ms. Balla has been a great mentor in the arts. I’ve learned so much from her and have loved being in her classes,” she continued. “She creates a calm, welcoming environment in which I am comfortable and have the ability to be creative with my art.”