Third Annual Guthrie Awards Honor Nine Outstanding Young People with PKU

With great pleasure, the Scholarship Committee is very pleased and proud to present the joint winners of this year’s Robert Guthrie PKU Scholarship and the seven Merit Award winners.

Members of our third year’s committee included: Patricia Guthrie (one of Dr. Guthrie’s adult children); Dr. Harvey Levy; Dr. Richard Kronmal; Cristine Trahms, MS, RD; and Virginia Schuett, MS, RD. We received applications from the U.S., Canada, and Hungary. As in the past, we were very impressed with each one of these fine young people and wished that we had the money to support all of them in their quest for higher education. However, donations to the fund were scarce this year. We encourage everyone to support this wonderful program, no matter how small the donation. Please support our terrific young people by donating this year. Send checks made out to The Robert Guthrie PKU ScholarshipFund to National PKU News, 6869 Woodlawn Ave. NE #116, Seattle, WA 98115.

The lives of our winners reflect everything good about young people today. Their talent, determination and leadership are exceptional. Once again, we honor a group of young people who have not let PKU hinder their lives or stifle their dreams.

Co-Winners of The Third Guthrie Scholarship

• Thomas Frizzell, Jr., age 17, Mandeville, LA
  
• Andrew Pugsley, age 18, Chagrin Falls, OH

Thomas Frizzell

Thomas, known to everyone as Nate, firmly believes that "the less time we spend pitying our-selves for having PKU, the more time we have to show people what we can do."

Nate is a senior with classical PKU at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, one of the most academically challenging schools in the state. A natural leader and orator, Nate was elected president of both his junior and senior classes, and served as the president of the Greater New Orleans Student Council. All the while, he has maintained a rigorous schedule of classes with outstanding grades, ranking in the 6th decile of a class of 272, and maintaining superb control of his PKU. Nate also was chosen to represent his school at Louisiana Boys’ State, a statewide summer program to train outstanding young people in leadership skills.

Nate has shown himself to be a talented actor, with parts in major school productions (where performances are often considered on par with professional community theatre) as well as in the local community. He is vice-president of the Philelectic Society (drama society). He takes singing and dancing lessons to improve his musical theatre abilities. He plans to study communications in college, continuing to explore his love of the theatre, with an eye towards a career in film or theatre arts.

Nate is involved in a host of other extracurricular activities, including being on the school newspaper staff, in Radio/TV Club, and the Student Ministry. He wrestled on the state championship wrestling team for two years. He also is a volunteer at Ronald McDonald House (100 hours of service), and has participated in counseling sessions for children with PKU and their parents. His clinic writes, "Nate is extremely knowledgeable about PKU and exhibits an attitude toward his metabolic condition that is completely accepting and totally free of self-pity. He attends PKU conferences and talks to families and children with PKU." Nate says, "It’s really important to me to help other PKU kids learn from what I’ve learned. I hope I can make it a little easier for them." He also has participated in genetics classes taught at the Tulane Medical School.

One of his teachers writes, "Nate has high expectations of himself. He sets high goals in all he pursues, and lives up to his expectations, reaching his goals every time. He puts nothing ‘on the back burner.’ Rather, he finds time to fulfill all his obligations: extracurricular, social and those with his family. He is a role model to our younger students, particularly to those who suffer with disabilities or illnesses that make life more difficult. Moreover, he is an inspirations to all the adults with whom he works." Another teacher states "Nate is one of those special people with the kind of character all parents wish for and strive to instill in their children. He has never dwelt on ‘why me?’ Instead, he accepts the hand he was dealt, always dealing with life on life’s terms."

 

Andrew Pugsley

Andrew, known to everyone as Drew, comments "I truly believe that PKU has not hindered me in the pursuit of any of my endeavors. I am able to wake up and approach each day with as much zeal as anyone else."

Drew is a senior with classical PKU at Chagrin Falls High School, a nationally recognized school of academic excellence in Chagrin Falls, OH. Another natural leader, Drew especially excels in languages. He has consistently been on the honor roll (maintaining a 3.8 G.P.A.) and is a member of the National Honor Society. He has been the recipient of the Alliance Francais award, and was named the 1999 French and German Student of the Year. He was the overall 1999 Foreign Language Department Student of the Year. Drew also has received the Langenscheidt Award for German excellence. As a result of his high score (99%ile out of 23,000 entries!) on the American Association of Teachers of German exam, he won an all-expense paid trip to Germany with the forty-one other winners in 1999, staying with a host family in Nuremberg for one month. He also studies Japanese privately. With his outstanding natural skills in foreign languages and his interest in economics, Drew plans for a career that will lead to international possibilities after majoring in international law, business or medicine.

Drew participates in many other extracurricular activities. He is president of the anti-drug and alcohol organization, has played on the tennis team all four years, and participated in the Academic Competition Team (which competes against other local high schools in a televised program). His leadership skills have been developed and honed through his involvement with the Teen Institute Training Program.

In summer 1998, Drew worked as a Work Study student at the Seattle PKU Clinic. He had many responsibilities, including gathering data for the development of a prototype "PKU formula bar" and doing nutrient analysis of food products. He participated enthusiastically in the clinic’s monthly educational activities and helped organize others, serving as an effective role model for the younger children. His experience in the clinic led him to achieve greater excellence with his own diet control.

One of his teachers writes: "Drew is consistently upbeat, energetic, humorous, goal-oriented, popular, sincere and sensitive. He has a wide circle of friends that reflects the diverse background of students here. He has never hesitated to help another student in need. He is the model of what a young man in America might aspire to be. His presence in the classroom brightens the period. He is consistently prepared. He has the ability to dominate a discussion because he is so well respected by his peers. He is one of the most respected students I have had in my 33 years of teaching. He is a gracious learner, always offering information in the classroom that he has acquired through many of his unique experiences outside the classroom." Another teacher writes: "In my thirty years of teaching foreign languages, I think Drew may be the most talented language student I have ever had. He seems intrinsically motivated to learn languages. Not satisfied with the usual selections offered at our high school, he enrolled in the Japanese Language School of Cleveland and for the past four years has been taking classes every Saturday. At age 17, Drew speaks French, German and Japanese. This is a young man who has ‘the gift’." Another teacher writes, "Drew Pugsley is well-liked and respected by both staff and peers. He is a fine individual, one I will sorely miss in the years after his graduation. He is a wonderful example of the kind of individual we all take great pride in knowing."

Congratulations to these two fine young men! They will each receive $2000 toward their college education.

Guthrie Merit Award

We are no less proud of this year’s seven outstanding Guthrie Merit Award winners (in alphabetical order):

• Anna Allison, 17, Ringgold, GA
• Jessica Frank, 17, Bellevue, NE
• Katherine Goossens, 18, Grand Forks, ND
• Megan Hamilton, 18, Troy, NC
• Barta Levente, 23, Eger, Hungary
• Anthony Moccia, 20, Hamden, CT
• Amy Speichert, 17, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Anna Allison

Anna, a high school senior, already has her goal firmly set on becoming a nurse. Specializing in pediatrics, she will take advantage of her natural affinity for children, and expects to find many rewards in helping them deal with illness. Throughout her educational career, Anna has been enrolled in the enrichment program for gifted students. She is listed in Who’s Who among high school students. While maintaining a high grade point average and class standing in the top 10% of her class, Anna finds time for many activities, including Student Council, Beta Club, National Honor Society, DARE (Drug Awareness Resistance Education), wind ensemble marching band, flag line, International Club, Chorale, and Prom Committee. She has held offices of class vice-president and treasurer, and Student Council secretary as well as being a DARE role model and captain of the flag line. Anna is an active member of her church youth group and works part-time at the Hutcheson Medical Center through a Youth Apprenticeship Program.

One of her teachers writes. "Anna possesses many wonderful personal attributes, including honesty, integrity, loyalty and high moral character. She always performs work of high quality and excellence. She is an intelligent and focused individual who is very goal-oriented and self-motivated. Anna will excel in college and in any career she may choose."

Anna has attended the Metabolic Camp at Emory University in Atlanta for five years, serving as a counselor-in-training during one of the camps. She also appeared in the recent PKU segment of the national TV program Health Diary on PBS.

Anna says, "Overall, I do not see my PKU as being an obstacle. I never have and never will allow my PKU to hold me back. I live my life the way I want to and I do not let PKU control me. I am too busy to let it get in the way! I do not see myself and my lifestyle as different from others. The only difference is the food on my plate."

 

Jessica Frank

Jessica, a high school senior, writes: "PKU has made me strive for goals that I once thought were unimaginable. Having PKU has taught me discipline and responsibility. Throughout my life I have kept low blood levels and have never ‘cheated’ on my diet. PKU has made me realize what is really important in life and how to achieve my goals."

Jessica plans to major in English at the University of Nebraska, with plans to become a secondary education teacher (a goal since she was in first grade). Ultimately, she would like to pursue a Master’s Degree in school administration. She has maintained an outstanding academic record, in honors classes (‘weighted G.P.A.’ of 4.8), and ranks 20 in a class of 280. Her extracurricular activities are equally impressive: volleyball, cheerleading, dance team, and a member of a dance studio for 14 years (tap, ballet and jazz), yearbook editor her senior year. She received an individual award for her outstanding yearbook skills in a state journalism competition. She has been a member/officer of many clubs, including the National Honor Society Youth Volunteer Club, Quill and Scroll, Spanish Club and was class treasurer her freshman year. She is in the Big Brother Big Sister program, reads books to elementary school students, has taught Spanish to third graders, taught Dance Team Kids Clinic, and participates in a great variety of other volunteer activities.

One of her teacher’s writes, "Jessica is charming, inquisitive and demanding of herself and others, a sign of a good emotional stability and self-confidence. Possibly these attributes have surfaced because of her maturity in dealing with PKU. One of her most impressive attributes is her ability to be a strong leader. She has a rare independence that allows her to have great foresight into many situations. She is a positive leader in that she may have her opinions, but she is never judgmental of others. She wears a daily smile and always shows the greatest of respect to her teachers and peers." Her clinic writes, "Jessica exemplifies what all of us hope to achieve as we begin working with newly diagnosed PKU infants: a successful young woman who has reached her full potential despite having to deal with the PKU diet every day of her life."

 

Katherine Goossens

Katherine, known to her friends as Katie, is an honor student with an excellent academic record (3.75 GPA). She hopes to become a doctor, either a pediatrician or a child psychiatrist, due to her love of children. She is an avid sportswoman, participating in varsity hockey, track and field, and volleyball. She finds time for volunteer work as well, at Women’s Advocates Crisis Shelter (for battered women) and local PKU picnics. She also works part-time as a waitress.

Since high school, due to her parent’s divorce, Katie has been completely independent in managing her diet, making her formula, counting her phes, and cooking for herself. She writes, "Overall, I think the PKU diet has had a positive influence on my life. It has made me grow up rather quickly and realize that I have to do everything on my own. I have to watch out for myself and make sure I am doing everything I can to stay healthy, even if that means being a little different than everyone else. In a way, I am glad that I had to be on my own. I feel that it has prepared me for the rest of my life. I will know how to cope with my diet in college and beyond."

A teacher writes: "Katherine was a student in my advanced level chemistry class. She is definitely one of the best chemistry students I have taught in my twelve years at Cretin-Derham Hall High School. She is a very strong science student and outstanding in the laboratory. Her strong math background supports her grasp of scientific concepts. She asks questions that indicate her curiosity and insight into topics being explored. She also is a natural leader in small group activities. One of her most striking qualities is her compassion for others in need. She supports her friends and classmates in whatever way she can, always deeply committed to promoting the success and achievement of her peers."

 

Barta Levente

Barta, whose PKU is treated in Budapest, Hungary, has been studying law at Juristic University in the northern Hungarian city of Miskolc since 1996. An excellent student speaking several languages (English, German, and Russian besides Hungarian), he will graduate in 2001. He also is a great help for the Hungarian PKU Society, through which he actively participates in education programs and organizing camps. The Hungarian PKU Association was founded in 1990, and in 1997 Barta helped start the Organization of Young PKU’s for anyone over the age of 14. Barta says, "It’s very important that a young child with PKU know as much as possible about taking care of the diet so that they can be totally independent."

Besides a demanding academic schedule, to afford his university education Barta works at an insurance company, selling policies and advising customers. He receives high praise from his employers for his outstanding work.

Last summer, Barta fulfilled an internship assignment in the Department of Law of Bukk National Park Directorate in Eger (which directs and controls the national park and solves problems connected with the environment throughout Northern Hungary). His supervisor writes, "Barta is a hard-working but joyful young man who is very creative and makes a deep impression on anyone with his clear logic and his wide and splendid knowledge. He took part in our work with pleasure in the office as well as in the mountains. He made draft proposals and helped in decision making and other public administration problems, but he was also remarkably active when he worked together with the park rangers. Environmental protection is not only a fashion for him but he thinks about it very seriously. He thinks that nature is a treasure and goes out of his way to help people understand this. Barta could be a remarkably good ranger, but it will not happen because he faces a shining professional career in law."

Barta states "To my mind, this scholarship is a remarkably good idea to show others that people with PKU can lead a normal life. I very much need the financial help, but if I win a Guthrie Scholarship, it would show the world how high a PKU patient from Hungary can go. Besides the respect, this could be an example for other Hungarian children on the diet."

In his free time, Barta likes to swim and play water polo, but his greatest love is flying. He is a member of the local paragliding club, where he is on the general staff responsible for organizing races and excursions to other clubs. He also guilds scale kits and models and in 1994 was a gold medalist in shipbuilding.

 

Megan Hamilton

Megan says she applied for the scholarship not only to lessen the financial burden of a college education on her family, but "because it would be a great honor to set an example for other PKU families, to show them that PKU is not an obstacle in attaining academic excellence." Megan is still pondering her many interests and which career direction she will take—perhaps teaching, business administration or accounting.

Besides maintaining exemplary grades in her many honors classes ("weighted GPA" of 4.3 and 4th in her class of 135), Megan has been actively involved in many activities including Beta Club, Spanish Club, Interact, and Students Against Drugs. Based on her leadership skills both in and out of school, she was chosen to be in Youth Leadership Montgomery for potential leaders in the county. She has been a member of the YMCA swim team for seven years, collecting hundreds of ribbons for her swimming prowess. She also is employed part-time in daycare at the Wesleyan Christian Academy. She has attended the Metabolic Camp in Atlanta and has served on panel discussions about PKU at her clinic in Chapel Hill.

The PKU clinic writes, "Megan is every PKU clinic’s dream patient. She is intelligent, compliant, a wonderful citizen and scholar." A teacher writes, "Megan is a charming young lady who impresses everyone with her honesty and dependability. I have never known of a time when she did not follow through on a commitment or complete a task. She is a role model for her peers and an inspiration to the adults who know her. She is one of the most dedicated and resourceful students I have worked with in my twelve years of teaching high school."

Megan says, "I never had to ‘cope’ with being PKU because to me, it’s not something that you have to cope with. It’s something that has to be accepted and dealt with. Having PKU is just a part of life."

 

Anthony Moccia

Anthony, a freshman at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, writes: "In spite of all the challenges, I have learned a great deal from having PKU. It has helped develop my character and it has shown me a healthy way of eating, to be disciplined and organized, not to take things for granted, and most of all, to respect myself." Anthony is majoring in history and plans to become a lawyer, a dream since age 8, and especially after his experience serving as a law intern.

In addition to maintaining an excellent academic record with challenging courses (graduating with Honors and ranking 26 out of 140 students in high school), Anthony was a member of the National Honor Society and Italian Honor Society. He is currently a licensed Pharmacy Technician, working in a pharmacy to support his education. In high school, he participated in many activities, especially enjoying volunteer work which included shoveling snow and raking leaves for elderly neighbors, peer tutoring in algebra and geometry, a volunteer coach for Boy’s Club, helping with fund raising activities at school, and assisting with Sunday School classes. Anthony is poised and articulate when it comes to explaining his PKU to medical students during yearly talks at Yale Medical School.

A teacher writes: "I am very impressed with Anthony. Not only is he a serious student taking responsibility for getting all of his assignments turned in on time and with great quality, he is a hard worker and a ‘nice guy.’ He cares about people. When he senses that no one in class is willing to volunteer an opinion, Anthony always takes the risk himself and contributes a pertinent remark. He has a very warm personality, is friendly and well liked by everyone. He never lets PKU or its treatment consume him, but leads a full and active life."

 

Amy Speichert

Amy is a young woman whose spirit cannot be daunted. Since her freshman year in high school, she has had surgery after surgery for scoliosis. The surgeries and complications have left her unable to participate for long periods in most activities she loves (such as jazz and ballet dancing). Despite her many hardships and setbacks, Amy maintains a remarkably sunny outlook on life, and her desire to pursue a career in the medical field has been strengthened. Although her surgeries and recuperation have interfered with many aspects of her life, she continues to maintain good control of her PKU and has maintained an impressive academic record. In addition to her talent in dance, she has played the piano for 10 years, achieving honors on several of her exams. She also has played the flute for 6 years. Her school band recently won a gold and a bronze medal in a Toronto Music Fest. She is actively involved in the St. Francis Student Music Council and helps with fund raising for school band trips. In the spring, the band traveled to Europe; Amy and her mom painstakingly packed her formula powder into capsules so she could swallow them with bottled water!

Amy also was a twice-weekly volunteer in the evening for over a year at the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Center, where she counseled siblings whose brothers or sisters were alcohol or drug abusers. Says one of her supervisors, "Amy’s strength, commitment and conviction helped an untold number of young children cope with and/or rise above their problems. Amy herself has endured hardships, particularly in regards to her health, that have contributed to her ability to help people extend themselves beyond their circumstance. Her ability to face her personal challenges makes her a natural role model for others."

Amy has attended many PKU picnics and talked with other teens and families about PKU. Amy’s younger sister also has PKU. Amy attributes her strength and diet commitment to the great support and encouragement they give each other.

A teacher writes: "I have witnessed first- hand how PKU has affected Amy. Never once did I hear a word of complaint! Amy has such a positive attitude towards life and such a stoic approach to the ever-present pain and inherent dangers that she faces on a daily basis. When she underwent surgery again last year, she never wavered. Her desire to do well academically had her studying and doing assignments at home during her convalescence. As Amy approaches her high school graduation, her hard work and dedication have allowed her to choose from among numerous university programs."

Congratulations to these fine young people!