Emily Couric Scholarship

By Dr. Hugh Meagher, Director of College Placement

Strong, self-confident, and fair are words that describe Lucy Strandquist.  Lucy is a leader in every group with which she associates.  This is not only true at Miller School but also in her extracurricular life.  This is noteworthy because Lucy comes from a dysfunctional home.  At a young age she was legally adopted by her grandmother because both of her parents were addicts. This experience has made Lucy self-reliant and courageous.  

Lucy’s experience with addiction led her to establish the Teens Interacting with Addiction Initiative (TIA), a vehicle through which she provides information and support for other young people whose lives are impacted by substance abuse. Lucy not only wants her peers to understand the dangers of addiction, but she wants to give them the resources they need to understand and help a loved one who is struggling. She plans to expand her work in the years ahead, by partnering with women’s shelters and other organizations. 

Lucy is one of the founding members of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at Miller. When she arrived here, she was surprised to find that the school did not have such an organization already. Over the past few years, Lucy’s work has not only helped the club to grow but to become a safe space for her fellow students and opened the door for inclusivity. As a volunteer with our admissions department, Lucy has seen firsthand that the existence of a GSA is a driving factor in a student’s decision to attend a particular school. 

Lucy has also been an invaluable member of our performing arts program. A talented performer, Lucy does not just focus on her own role or needs but those of her castmates. She mentors younger performers, grabs a paintbrush to help build the sets, and designs and makes the costumes. When Lucy speaks, the cast listens, because they know she has valuable advice to give that is coming from a genuine dedication to her castmates. 

Lucy is genuinely devoted to all of her public service activities. She is selfless and committed to her school and local community. She is a leader who wants to provide opportunities for others, make her community more inclusive, and establish organizations that truly make a difference in the lives of others. For these reasons, we are delighted to nominate Lucy Strandquist for this year’s Emily Couric Leadership Scholarship.