By TORY DENIS
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CLAREMONT — A Stevens High School student and a Unity woman who has helped others for four decades were recognized this week at the 19th annual Women Who Make a Difference Luncheon in New London.
The event, held on Wednesday, was organized by Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice Pediatric Services.
Two awards are given each year: One to an area woman who makes a difference, and one to a female high school student who makes a difference. The names of award winners are kept secret until the event.
The annual Student Who Makes a Difference Award, in its 14th year, was presented to SHS senior Lexie Grenier.
“I’m ecstatic,” she said after the presentation. “I’m honored and surprised. I cried a lot!”
Lexie said after the ceremony that she thought she would be attending a board meeting on Wednesday afternoon with SHS Principal Patricia Barry, who escorted her to the awards luncheon.
Lexie’s parents, John and Maria Grenier of Claremont, and grandparents Brett and Donna Ploss of Newport, also made the drive to Wheeler Hall on the Colby-Sawyer College campus to surprise her and see her named this year’s high school student winner.
Barry nominated her for the recognition, calling Lexie “one of the most talented, driven, dedicated, and empathetic young women I have ever met.”
“She is the epitome of what I consider to be ‘extraordinary,” said Barry.
Barry said in her nomination that Lexie is involved in her school and community, a member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Band and Chorus, Tri-M Music Honors Society, and the Stevenaires, and that she also volunteers at the Claremont Soup Kitchen and Student Voice, along with being a student representative to the school board and an organizer of the school’s kick-off with NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60, helping to get a breakfast cart and smoothie machine to provide free breakfasts. She also led the SHS student walk-out for school safety as dedication to the students who lost their lives in Parkland, Florida.
Barry said Lexie has reached out to administration to work with teachers to improve school culture and do public service announcements about bullying, safety, and other issues important to the school and the community.
The 19th annual Woman Who Makes a Difference Award was given to Deborah Mozden of Unity. Mozden, who was nominated by Pat Whitney, is the executive director of Turning Points Network, serving and helping women and individuals in challenging situations throughout Claremont, Newport and beyond.
Presenter Tanya Wilkie called Mozden “a true Mother Teresa,” and said that she has helped the most vulnerable members of society, locally, in her decades of work and volunteerism.
“She found her passion helping abused women, and it became her life’s mission,” Wilkie said. “She has restored faith and hope in thousands of women by being their advocate.”
Mozden has also been a volunteer for 40 years in her community, and has shared her leadership, management, organizational and fundraising skills for 20 years with TLC Family Resource Center in Claremont, collaborating to help more than 100 mutual clients, according to the nomination.
She was also instrumental in getting the Sullivan County Sexual Assault Resource Team started, and serves on the Child Advocacy Center of Sullivan and Grafton Counties advisory board, along with working in conjunction with local police, hospitals, courts and health care systems.
“Deb is deeply committed to everything TPN stand for and is a champion for women and families who are in need of TPN services. She is nonjudgmental and accepting of all, caring and hardworking,” said TPN board member Kathy Niboli. “Much more than a job to her, it is her mission — she leads by example, and has always been a consensus builder … she certainly is making a difference!”
After the presentation, Mozden said that the award was “an incredible surprise” and that the work she does has always felt meaningful. To be a part of the group of prior nominees for this award, she said, was “truly humbling.”
She also said that at the agency, they all do the work together. She said that while she is honored to accept the award “in the spirit it was given,” she was also accepting it on behalf of everyone she works with.
The awards were created by Gail Matthews, who attended the luncheon. Guest speaker was author and life coach Kasey Matthews of Wilton, New Hampshire, who spoke about the challenges and life-changing moments that came with the unexpected premature birth of her second child, Andie, born weighing 1 pound, 11 ounces.
Both of the 2018 WWMD winners were presented with their awards and a large plush Teddy bear, an annual tradition.
LSRVNA is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1970 and based out of New London, that provides visiting nurses, health care, pediatric care and hospice services for individuals and families in homes and community settings in 29 communities, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To learn more about their services, visit lakesunapeevna.org.
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