Congratulations Zane Pickus

Zane Pickus is our 2022 scholarship recipient. Congratulations, Zane!

The Neu Family also wants to thank all the 2022 applicants, who were the last to attend Fairfield during Mrs Neu’s tenure. We wish you all well.

A big impact with birds

One of the things that set Zane’s application apart is how well he articulated the role Fairfield and Mrs Neu played in his life. Fairfield clearly had a big impact on Zane. Foremost is his love of birds.

”When I was in kindergarten at Fairfield Elementary, I was incredibly lucky to have Mrs. Neu introduce me to the birds of our schoolyard and beyond. Mrs. Neu would bring in giant tubs of bird books, including Peterson Field Guides and National Geographic books, and let us look through them. My classmates and I would spend hours thumbing through field guides and looking at paintings and photographs of birds from all over the world. When we went out into the vast Fairfield schoolyard, Mrs. Neu would point out local birds to our class.”

Zane took his love of birds to become a youth liaison and then a full board member of the Yolo Audubon Society. He also participated in numerous birding and bird research projects, including with UC Davis.

it seems fitting then that Zane plans to attend the University of California, Davis this fall. “Majoring in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology will give me a chance to continue my study of birds and wildlife, and learn how to make an impact in the natural world,” he says.

The scholarship application also gave Zane the opportunity to look back on the impact Mrs Neu had on him.

“I had always imagined that I would apply for this scholarship, and sitting down to write my application gave me the opportunity to truly reflect on and appreciate the importance of her influence on me.

Encouraging written correspondence was a big part of Mrs Neu’s curriculum

A key part of Mrs Neu’s teachings was the importance of written correspondence. Zane took this to heart.

After my kindergarten year, Mrs. Neu offered her students a challenge to write her postcards over the summer, promising to write back if we wrote at least five sentences. I did this, and would eagerly check the mail in the hopes of getting a letter or postcard from her in return. She never failed to write me back in a remarkably timely manner.

Zane also points out what an incredible role model Mrs Neu was: “Her kindness, respectfulness, and subtle strictness inspired me to be the best person I could be, each and every day.” Mrs Neu would be proud of the person Zane has grown to become, already, at this stage in his life.

Again, congratulations to Zane, we wish you all the best.