Lillian Brown and Juanita Kent

Inspiring Excellence

 

As former educators, the late Lillian Brown of Waterbury and Juanita Kent of Prospect knew the importance of recognizing students’ achievements. So when the two felt that a promising student who graduated at the head of her class had not received her due, they started a scholarship fund that would honor future students for their accomplishments. The In Search of Excellence Fund, established in 1994 with contributions from many people both in and outside of the city, supports scholarships for top African-American students from Waterbury.

Lillian, who retired as the head of the guidance department at Wilby High School, was also a trustee and the chair of the Community Foundation’s first scholarship committee.

Over the years, Lillian and Juanita stayed in touch with many of the students who have received scholarships from the fund, and they can easily list the colleges and universities the students have attended: Cornell, Yale, Brown, and others. They beam when speaking about students like Angela Sykes, the Wilby High School valedictorian who first inspired the scholarship more than a decade ago and who has since gone on to earn a Ph.D.

Dozens of people support their vision, with many who have contributed to the fund each year since its inception.

“If you can reach out and show someone another way,” Juanita said, “it’s good for you and for all of society.”