WHS Student Wins P.E.O. Scholarship

Alice Sullivan, a Weston High School senior, is the recipient of the highly competitive national P.E.O. Star Scholarship Award in the amount of $2,500 for “excellence in leadership, extracurricular activities, community service, academics, and potential for future success.” Alice will attend the University of Notre Dame to further her studies in neuroscience.

“This award recognizes young women of stellar achievement — an apt description for Alice Sullivan,” said Mary Hassett, chair of the STAR scholarship committee of the Weston P.E.O. chapter that nominated Alice for the national award.

P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) has been motivating, educating and celebrating women since its inception in 1869. The nonprofit helped more than 129,000 women pursue educational goals by providing $462 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans.

Ms. Sullivan distinguished herself through leadership in student government, athletics, and programs to benefit the school and community — while maintaining a 4.48 grade point average.

As softball co-captain, she launched a successful campaign to fund fencing for the girls’ softball field, ensuring a legacy for future female athletes. She collaborated with a local doctor to establish baseline concussion data for student athletes at Weston High School, demonstrating her commitment to preventing brain injuries.

Among her community service activities is the school’s Person to Person (P2P) Club that she founded and headed as president. P2P collects and distributes food and clothing to Fairfield County families.

Her goal is to become a neuroscientist. Beyond the classroom she pursued studies to support her goal. She studied “Big Data in Medicine” at the World Scholars Academy, co-authoring a paper, “Applications of Omics Technologies in Medicine,” published in World Scholar’s Review (December 2024). She earned college credit for her study of neuroscience at Notre Dame University’s Scholar Program.

Ms. Sullivan was selected for the Summit STEM Fellowship, an intensive program for highly motivated students committed to advancing STEM fields. She also competed statewide with Weston High School’s T.E.A.M. Club.

More information about P.E.O. is available here.