Photo: Left to right, 2024 Kindness Scholars Avni Kabra, Uttej Kollu and Kaylee Ng

Three High School Graduates Awarded $5,000 for Leading with Kindness

David W. Glidden, President & CEO of Liberty Bank, today announced the names of the three high school students in the graduating class of 2024 who won a $5,000 scholarship through Liberty’s 2^nd Annual Kindness Scholarships.

The Kindness Scholarship recognizes eligible students who attend a high school in a city or town served by Liberty Bank. To be considered for this coveted scholarship, the graduating high school student must consistently demonstrate kindness in everyday moments while maintaining an ongoing and significant impact on their community.

The three rising college freshman who earned a $5,000 scholarship this year are the following:

• Avni Kabra, a 2024 graduate of East Lyme High School, who will be attending Yale University in the fall to study pre-med. Avni started “TeachingIsHelping” – a volunteer tutoring program for the STEM fields, to bridge the academic gap in Connecticut while addressing food insecurity in her community. She was recognized by the National Alzheimer’s Association for raising awareness of Alzheimer’s and developed an app that aims to help strengthen memories. She’s also volunteered at her local Leo’s Club, volunteered at car washes and art shows, and hosted pasta suppers.
  
• Uttej Kollu, a 2024 graduate of Avon High School who will be attending the University of Southern California in the fall to study Biochemistry. Uttej has contributed over 2,000 hours of volunteer work to his local hospital, school and community service club, including cleaning medical equipment, preparing patient rooms and distributing medications for patients in health care settings. He is an Eagle Scout and continues his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America and serves as a mentor to young students participating in robotics expositions and library events.
  
• Kaylee Ng, a 2024 graduate of Norwich Free Academy who will attend Quinnipiac University to pursue a dual degree program in Cell and Molecular Biology. Kaylee has dedicated more than 200 hours of volunteerism at Backus Hospital greeting patients, delivering warm blankets and art supplies, and showing kindness to oncology patients navigating hardship. She volunteers with the Connecticut Alzheimer’s Associations’ Summer Youth Employment Program. In high school, Kaylee was a two-year Captain of the Dance Team, helping to lead the squad to nationals.

“Avni, Uttej and Kaylee are not only successful leaders in the classroom but what they do outside of school in spreading kindness in their spare time helps our communities thrive,” said David W. Glidden, President & CEO of Liberty Bank. “They don’t do it to bolster their college applications or receive recognition. They do it because they have a passion for helping others in the community. For those reasons, these three rising college freshmen are truly deserving of a $5,000 scholarship from Liberty Bank and we know every little bit helps in defraying the costs of college tuition.”

About Liberty Bank 

Established in 1825, Liberty Bank is the oldest and largest independent mutual bank in the country. With nearly $8.0 billion in assets, Liberty has 56 banking offices across Connecticut and two in Massachusetts. As a full-service financial institution, Liberty offers consumer and commercial banking, cash management, home mortgages, business loans, insurance and investment services. Named ‘Top Workplace’ by the Hartford Courant every year since 2012 and designated a 2021, 2022 and 2023 Best-In-State Bank in Connecticut by Forbes Magazine.