The 2022 Raymond Hap Harrison Scholarship Ceremony
This past week, Victoria Bossone, a senior at New Milford High School received the 25th Raymond “Hap” Harrison Scholarship. The scholarship is named for Adam Leitman Bailey’s Track & Field and Cross Country Coach in High School who he credits much of his success, not only in running, but for much of what he has accomplished in his career. Ms. Bossone was chosen out of all New Milford High School students by the Guidance Department to be a paid intern at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C.. She will attend Monmouth University and major in Speech Pathology.
The Raymond “Hap” Harrison Scholarship is funded through the Building Foundations charity, founded by Adam Leitman Bailey in 2002. The charity’s mission is to assist students of all ages in pursuing their professional and personal dreams by providing financing, scholarships, education, internships, real-life experience and any other tools necessary to reach their dreams. It is a $40,000 scholarship divided evenly across 4 years. The Raymond “Hap” Harrison Scholarship has donated over a million dollars since 2008.
Dave Wilson taught at New Milford High School when Adam Leitman Bailey attended the school. At the award ceremony he made the following remarks:
“I was only teaching for a couple of years and as you all are well aware, there are these life events that occur. Adam was in a horrible car accident and Adam was told that you are not going to college and that you would be lucky if you can get through high school and we’ll get you through. Adam was an All-League runner and he went back to cross country and went back to track and then he went to college….and law school….and he’s got his own firm in New York. Adam is involved in so much and he is so busy but one of the things I can tell you is all you have to do is call Adam and say Adam I’m a New Milford student and you have his attention. Because he is going to help you achieve whatever is the rest of that sentence. Because New Milford is special for him – and he doesn’t do it just for New Milford; he has a couple of schools that he has kind of adopted, but he is always there for New Milford. He’s always there for New Milford students. He leads some of our students on a tour of lower Manhattan and shows them the historic parts of lower Manhattan, and talks about his work as a lawyer and in defending the constitution and what that means. He puts himself out there and tells you: the students, that you can do this too. Follow your bliss. Do your passion. These aren’t just words that people are saying to you. You can do whatever you set your minds to.”