Winners of Inaugural Laurance and Mary Rockefeller Legacy Scholarship Essay Competition Honored in A

Winners of Inaugural Laurance and Mary Rockefeller Legacy Scholarship Essay Competition Honored in Awards Ceremony April 30
 
The Woodstock Foundation, with Billings Farm & Museum, the Woodstock Inn & Resort, and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, established the scholarship in 2025 and presented the inaugural awards to three students from Woodstock Union High School.
 
 
WOODSTOCK, VERMONT (MAY 1, 2025) – Representatives from The Woodstock Foundation, Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock Inn & Resort, and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park hosted an award reception on April 30 to honor the first, second, and third place winners of the inaugural 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 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.
 
Joaquin Jones-Welker, a junior, was the first-place winner and was awarded $2,500 in scholarship funds, Maggie Knox, a junior, received the second-place prize of $1,000, and Jane Stout, a senior, 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. They explored themes including expanding community land trusts to provide green, affordable housing in Vermont, fostering community for Woodstock's aging population, and creating educational and cultural exchange between students in Woodstock and those in cities like Boston or New York.
 
“Our goal was to commemorate and celebrate Laurance and Mary’s legacy here in Woodstock. This scholarship creates an opportunity for the next generation to learn about their impact and reflect on how their values and actions can inspire us today,” 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 our inaugural award winners.”
 
“Laurance and Mary Rockefeller’s impact is felt not just throughout the Woodstock community, but in communities and national parks across the country where their vision and commitment to conservation is ever-present,” said Bruce Grosbety, President, Woodstock Resort & Inn. “We’re incredibly appreciative to all of the students who participated in this essay contest, which was about engaging with the next generation, especially local residents who benefit from their vision every day, helping make sure that legacy endures, and they have the lessons and knowledge to take up the mantle and leave their own mark.”
 
“Stewardship is taking care of places, and in order for stewardship to be successful – there must be a handoff across generations. The stewardship chain has grown stronger with each generation, starting with the Abenaki and the other tribes who cared for this land, tended to by young George Perkins Marsh, advanced by Fredrick Billings and his wife and daughters, and expanded by Mary and Laurance Rockefeller,” said Rick Kendall, Superintendent, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. “It is beyond gratifying to see, through these essays, that the next generation of people are ready to care for these places around Woodstock, forging new links on this stewardship chain.”
 
“Mountain Views Supervisory Union students connect to the wider community throughout their educational journey. I am so grateful that this essay contest allows these young folks the ability to cultivate deeper reflection and synthesize what they've learned in order to propose a better future,” said Kat Robbins, Woodstock Union High School Place-Based Learning Coordinator, in partnership with Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
 
The scholarship awards were supported with funding from The Woodstock Foundation, Woodstock Inn & Resort, Countryside Fund, 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 promotes conservation, sustainable land use, and heritage as values that are essential to culture, community, and the human spirit. 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
From left to right: David Simmons, President, The Woodstock Foundation and Executive Director, Billings Farm & Museum; Joaquin Jones-Welker, first place awardee; Maggie Knox, second place awardee; Jane Stout, third place awardee; Rachel French Weber, Trustee, The Woodstock Foundation; and Rick Kendall, Superintendent, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.