NORWICH - The Friends and Alumni of Norwich Schools (FANS) Committee is seeking nominations of Norwich High School (NHS) alumni to be considered for the new NHS Hall of Distinction.

NCSD Superintendent Scott Ryan said the purposes for which FANS was organized include "to recognize, honor and celebrate Norwich alumni; to create opportunities for alumni to maintain a strong bond and relationship with each other and with NCSD; to promote activities that are in the best interests of the alumni, our school, and the community; to create and maintain a communication link between FANS and alumni; and to support select activities and projects of the Norwich City School District."

"I think it’s a great way to honor those people, from Norwich High School, that made significant contributions in their chosen field. I think it can also serve as motivation for others in the community, especially those in school today," said FANS Committee Chairperson Anthony Testani. "It can also bring a sense of pride to our school. Students will be able to see what other students from NHS have accomplished after leaving high school and hopefully feel they can accomplish something just as great."

"We’ll be looking at NHS alumni that have made outstanding contributions in their fields, such as community service, the arts, medical professions, military service, any field of work, really," he added.

Nomination forms can be found at NorwichCSD.org under Menu>Documents>District>FANS Nomination Form, or via the link published on the Norwich City School District Facebook page.

Requested information includes the nominee's name; the years they attended NHS or Norwich Senior High School; the distinction for which they are nominated; accomplishments or achievements supporting their nomination; a short biography of the nominee; the nominee's contact information, or that of a relative if the nominee is deceased; photographs of the nominee; the name and contact information of the nominator; and supporting documentation, such as awards, obituaries, certificates, and diplomas.

Nominator's should include as much information and supporting documentation as possible. Members of the FANS Committee have also volunteered to assist with research as needed.

Completed nomination forms should be emailed to NCSD Event Coordinator Rich Turnbull at rturnbull@norwichcsd.org, or dropped off at the District Office at 89 Midland Drive in Norwich no later than July 31.

After the submission deadline, the FANS Committee will review nominations and vote on the first round of alumni to be honored in the Hall of Distinction.

"Criteria will be considered through a lens of global to local distinction. Success is defined so differently depending on who you are speaking with, and thus a great deal of our focus will zoom in on the impact of distinction," said Ryan.

He said the hope is to announce inductees this fall, and possibly host an induction ceremony during the second annual NHS Alumni Weekend, scheduled for August 30, 31, and September 1.

The FANS Committee includes Chairperson Anthony Testani, Secretary Stefanie Jenkins, Treasurer Richard Turnbull, Rhett Genung, Eric Stratton, Ed Ericksen, Harry Graves, Mindy Chawgo, Sarah Genter, Tom Rowe, Adam Spence, Kathy Coates, and Scott Ryan as a non-voting member.

"As Superintendent, I place immense value in telling our story. Our history and all former alum make up so much of our story; who we’ve been, are, and will be," said Ryan. "I hope people have fun with this. I hope it reconnects people to stories of our great past, and I hope that we can use this as a vehicle to unite this great community even more."

"We have had so many great people from NHS do some amazing things," said Testani. "They should be honored by their hometown school."