Newtown High School senior Taegan Smith was selected as a finalist to compete for the $15,000 scholarship in honor of the late Barton L. Weller, founder of Vitramon, Incorporated, in Monroe, whose generosity has made this award possible.

Established in 1977, the scholarship’s purpose is to encourage academic excellence in a substantial independent research or study project. The scholarship is open to full-time senior-year students at Joel Barlow, Masuk, Newtown, Shelton, and Trumbull high schools.

Entrants were required to submit proposals for projects in any field of study in which they have an interest. A total of eight proposals were received. Three finalists were selected on the basis of originality, the format of the proposal, project potential, and the care with which the proposal and its planned implementation has been thought through.

On November 5, each finalist received $200 to help defray expenses during the five-month project period. The recipient will be announced prior to the awards dinner on April 21, 2021 at Fairfield University.

At the dinner, the $15,000 scholarship will be presented to the student whose project is judged to be the best. This scholarship will be paid directly to the college or university for deposit into the student’s account. The scholarship will be awarded without regard to the student’s financial status.

Taegan’s project is titled “Movements: An Exploration of Impactful Women in History Told Through Dance.” Her project objective is to spotlight women who shaped the rights we have today, but might have failed to make it into the history textbooks. These women may span different demographics, different backgrounds, and different economic statuses, but all worked to achieve a common goal: the empowerment the equality of women in America.

The other two finalists competing for the scholarship are Julia Krepsztul of Joel Barlow High School with the project “Environmental Racism in the United States of America” and Meghan Ogrinz of Joel Barlow High School with the project “Interactive Database for Healthcare Stations in Remote Locations.”