We’re excited to announce Beaver’s 2019 Alex Cohn Grant recipients: Sophomore Max Colognesi and juniors Gwyneth McLear and Olivia D’Allessandro.

Max will use the grant to build original pieces of furniture that ideally have more than one purpose and utilize small spaces better. He then plans on donating these completed works to Second Step, a charitable program that helps provide and furnish living spaces for women and children who have left abusive living situations.

“I would like to receive requests from the families and make furniture for their current location as well as for them to use in their next housing arrangement,” he said.

Max developed an interest in carpentry while doing building maintenance and furniture repairs for Second Step, and also while working as a woodworking counselor at the Beaver Summer Camp.

Gwyneth and Olivia will combine their passions for marine biology and the social power of art to analyze the levels of the microplastics in the waters on the east coast and observe their effects on the environment. Their goal is rent boats off the eastern seaboard and collect important microplastics data that the scientific community currently lacks, specifically point-source ocean pollution. They hope to publish those results online and then create a piece of engineered art educating the populous on their discoveries.

“We both come to this endeavor with different experiences and passions, but we find commonality in the belief that everyone can do a little good in the world,” the duo wrote in their application. “This is the perfect way to take our first steps.”

Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
Read more about the Alex Cohn Grant on the Alex Cohn Grant website.