EducationUpdated with more photos
This is no fish tale! Student nets free year of tuition
UNITY (July 23): The hand of fate appeared to play a role in one of the more unusual coincidences to occur since the Unity College Fishing for Scholarships Tournament began in 2003.
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| Becky Cunfer of Pennsylvania enjoys the sun while her father, Bart Cunfer, does all the 'work.' (Photo by Tina Shute) |
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| Becky Cunfer catches some rays. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
Incoming first-year student Drew Houser of Northborough, Mass., competed Sunday, July 22, in his tournament. The event brought back many memories for Houser, whose father, Gary, died in 1992 when his small plane crashed into Unity Pond, site of the Fishing for Scholarships tournament.
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| Chris Eklund of Ellsworth, fishing partner of Unity College student Brad Eklund of the class of 2009, displays a large black crappie. (Mark Tardiff) |
Gary Houser was a 1977 graduate of Unity College. Joe Bellerose of Troy, also a ' 77 Unity graduate and Gary's best friend, fished Sunday with Drew.
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| Drew Houser and Joe Bellerose. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
After Gary and Joe graduated, they continued their friendship and often vacationed together with their families, flying to the Bahamas in Gary’s small plane.
When Gary died in 1992, Joe became a mentor to Gary’s young son, Drew. When the young man sought admission to Unity College as a first-year student for 2007, Drew wrote in his application essay about how Joe had opened his eyes to the wonders of nature.
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| Ritchie Russ of Rhode Island keeps cool. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
It was only natural that Drew chose Joe as his fishing partner. Though they weren't very lucky during the fishing portion of the tournament, they had a great time. Drew’s mother, Andrea Houser of Northborough, Mass., enjoyed the day as well, volunteering on the boat for use by members of the media.
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| Adam Reed and his father, Raymond Reed, wait for a bite. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
As the horn blew at 2:30 p.m. to signal the end of the tournament, organizer Joe Saltalamachia, associate director of admissions at Unity College, knew for the first time in the five-year history of the tournament, one student would receive a full-year tuition waver valued in excess of $18,000.
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| Fishermen gather in shallow water near the railroad trestle. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
The fish tagged with the one-year tuition waiver was caught by tournament volunteer, Nelson Beaudry of Windsor, while he worked on the motorized safety boat for the tournament.
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| Christy Corpsey of New Jersey has fun in the sun. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
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| Mike Corpsey of New Jersey makes himself comfortable with a lawn chair in his canoe. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
Beaudry is the father of James Beaudry, of Windsor, a third-year student who was competing in another boat. Because Nelson caught the fish tagged while working in the motorized safety boat, tournament rules prohibited him from giving the tuition waiver to his son, James.
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| Dan Courtmanch of Mount Vernon casts from a kayak. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
Instead, the one-year tuition waiver went into a drawing held after the tournament at the outdoor amphitheatre on campus.
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| Unity Pond (Lake Winnecook) is peppered with fishermen. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
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| Ella Sawyer, 2, of Monroe, draws the winner. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
Every student participating in the tournament was eligible to win the drawing for the full-year tuition waiver. But it was Drew Houser's name that was drawn by Ella Sawyer, 2, of Monroe, daughter of assistant director of admissions, Jonathan Sawyer, and administrative assistant to facilities and public safety, Aimee Sawyer.
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| Ross Flannery, back, of Connecticut snags his hook on the bottom. His father, Bill Flannery, baits a hook. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
Drew was joined on the amphitheatre stage by Joe and his mother, Andrea. Soon after, Drew made a point to find James Beaudry, son of the man who caught the tagged fish that led to his good fortune, and thank him.
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| What a catch! From left are Josh Whalen, a wildlife management major from Exeter who caught a fish with a $2,500 tag; associate director of admissions and tournament organizer Joe Saltalamachia; and Drew Houser, who won a one-year tuition waiver valued in excess of $18,000. (Mark Tardiff) |
Beaudry said he was glad Drew won the drawing for the one-year tuition waiver.
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| The grassy area near the railroad trestle is a popular place for fishermen. And fish? (Photo by Tina Shute) |
“What a way to begin your college career, winning a waiver for your first year,” Saltalamachia said. “I think people feel like maybe Drew’s father, Gary, helped guide the hand in that drawing.”
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| Ben Darling of Corinth looks for a tag on a smallmouth bass. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
More than 400 students, invited guest participants and volunteers took part in the tournament, in which there was $320,000 in scholarship money available in tagged fish. More than $25,000 in scholarships and prizes were won. The catch-and-release tournament is the largest one-day, nonmechanized fresh water fishing derby in the United States and the only collegiate fishing for scholarships tournament in the United States.
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| Cody Mackey of New Hampshire baits a hook. (Photo by Tina Shute) |
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| Fishing vessels line the beach. (Photo by Tina Shute) |