Burrello wins Patrick Wood Prize
By the time Jotham Burrello received the Patrick Wood Prize at Rectory School’s graduation, he was already a super-star. The night before, he had won the drama award for being a philosopher, a dreamer, a newsboy, a villain, and a cat during his tenure on the Rectory stage. Early in the graduation ceremony, he won the Bigelow cup for his kindness and hard work. He was known for his generosity toward other students. He sat out part of a baseball game so another teammate could play. He asked students to vote for someone besides himself as the graduation speaker. He’d had enough time in the limelight as chair of the student council. But students voted for him anyway, and during the graduation ceremony, it was obvious why. He was funny, clever, and upbeat with high fives to his partner speaker and quotes from ninth-graders on how to succeed at Rectory. The crowded gymnasium applauded and cheered.
Patrick’s mother, Lisette Rimer, said, “It was an honor to present the Patrick Wood Prize to such a joyous and talented young man. He’s an academic standout and a performer in the best sense of the word. He is a gift to everyone.”
In addition to serving as student council president, Jotham was a day-student proctor, a student ambassador, and a mentor to a fifth-grade student. He played the lead role in the spring musical, Seussical. “He is a rare combination of scholar, musician, and athlete,” Rimer said. “Patrick’s gifts were many, and this young man is a thrilling representative of that legacy.”
Patrick Wood attended Pomfret School on a full scholarship and graduated as valedictorian in 2001 with perfect SAT scores. He graduated from Stanford as a math major with honors while earning his master’s in computer science. The Patrick Wood Prize was begun from the many donations that poured in after Patrick’s death in 2006. It supports local, meritorious students entering Pomfret School. Visit https://www.patrickwoodprize.org for more information on Patrick’s life and scholarship.
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Patrick’s mother Lisette Rimer, Patrick Wood Prize winner Jotham Burrello, and Jotham’s mother Kristin Burrello at the Rectory School graduation.