2013 Recipient

Emma Harney of South Yarmouth has an impressive resume that includes academic, leadership and athletic honors as well as numerous student activities that span grades 9-12. This was not enough. Emma felt the need to give back, specifically to Boston’s Children’s Hospital based on her experiences early in life. As a baby Emma was diagnosed with Pectus Excavation, a manageable birth defect that involved her ribs folding in toward her heart. Emma’s positive experiences at Children’s Hospital led her to want to give back and express her gratitude to the staff and current patients. Initially she wanted to personally volunteer and interact directly with patients. After careful consideration she realized she could contribute in a different way. At the beginning of her sophomore year she began to construct activity books for the patients. Her simple books of mazes, puzzles and coloring pages provided patients with hours of fun and distraction. Having experienced such joy and satisfaction in giving back to an institution that has helped her family, Emma decided to expand her service project to other local hospitals such as Cape Cod Hospital, Franciscan Hospital for Children, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Shriners Hospital. Emma’s activity booklets remind us that one small idea can make a big difference in the daily lives of children. We thank Emma for having the passion and determination to see her idea through. We are so proud to award Emma a Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation Scholarship and wish her the best as she pursues her studies at Boston College this fall.