Winners of 2026 Laurance and Mary Rockefeller Legacy Scholarship Essay Competition Honored in Awards Ceremony April 17
Winners of 2026 Laurance and Mary Rockefeller Legacy Scholarship Essay Competition Honored in Awards Ceremony April 17
The Woodstock Foundation, with Billings Farm & Museum, the Woodstock Inn & Resort, and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park presented the awards to three students from Woodstock Union High School.
WOODSTOCK, VERMONT (APRIL 20, 2026) –The Woodstock Foundation hosted an award reception on April 17 to honor the first, second, and third place winners of the 2026 Laurance and Mary Rockefeller Legacy Scholarship Essay competition.
This annual essay program, which is open to students in grades 10-12 at Woodstock Union High School, was launched by The Woodstock Foundation in 2025 as an opportunity to honor the enduring legacy of Laurance and Mary Rockefeller, two people who left a profound impact on the Woodstock community and had a vision for environmental stewardship and intentional investing designed to endure for decades past their lifetime.
The selection committee, comprised of representatives from Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock Inn & Resort, and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, awarded scholarship funds to the top three submissions.
Schuyler Hagge, a senior, was the first-place winner and was awarded $2,500 in scholarship funds, Nicholas Cellini, a junior, received the second-place prize of $1,000, and Khloi Bruso, a junior, was awarded $500 for third place.
Each student was asked to share their own idea on how to make a lasting positive and sustainable environmental, cultural, or economic impact in Vermont for 25, 50, or 100 years into the future. Their essays explored themes including climate and innovation, community and education, and affordability and transportation.
“Our goal was to commemorate and celebrate Laurance and Mary’s legacy here in Woodstock. This scholarship gives young members of our community the opportunity to spark real conversations about the future of Vermont and leave this place better than we found it,” said David Simmons, President, Woodstock Foundation, Inc. and Executive Director, Billings Farm & Museum. “We’re grateful to all of the students who shared their impressive ideas and are proud to recognize this year’s award winners.”
“My grandparents were deeply committed to environmental stewardship and fostering sustainable communities by thoughtfully balancing ecological preservation with economic development, including here in Woodstock. I can’t think of a better way to help ensure that their values and contributions live on than by supporting and promoting the bright ideas of the next generation,” said Rachel Weber, Woodstock Foundation Trustee and granddaughter of Laurance and Mary Rockefeller.
From left to right: Rick Kendall, Superintendent, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park; Bruce Grosbety, President, Woodstock Resort & Inn; Nicholas Cellini, second place awardee; Schuyler Hagge, first place awardee; Rachel French Weber, Trustee, The Woodstock Foundation; and David Simmons, President, The Woodstock Foundation and Executive Director, Billings Farm & Museum. Not pictured: Khloi Bruso, third place awardee.
The scholarship awards were supported with funding from The Woodstock Foundation, Woodstock Inn & Resort, and Green Mountain Foundation. More information about the scholarship can be found here.
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Founded by Laurance S. and Mary F. Rockefeller in 1968, The Woodstock Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable, nonprofit institution that fosters the physical, cultural, and spiritual well-being of the people of Woodstock, Vermont and the Ottauquechee River Valley through land stewardship, celebration of heritage, education, recreation, and community engagement. The Foundation owns and operates Billings Farm & Museum, which showcases a culture of care and connection to land, food, and community through immersive educational experiences. The Woodstock Foundation is an active partner of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and supports the National Park through a fund dedicated to preservation, conservation, and responsible forest management of the Park’s resources. The Foundation also owns the Woodstock Inn & Resort, which serves as an anchor for the preservation and economic vitality of Woodstock village. Proceeds from Resort operations help support The Woodstock Foundation and Billings Farm & Museum education and conservation programs.
Photo Courtesy of The Woodstock Foundation