SAVINGS BANK OF WALPOLE ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE JULIE TEWKSBURY SCHOLARSHIP FOR WORKING MOMS

Keene, NH – Savings Bank of Walpole is pleased to announce that Kimberly Allsopp and Alexa Plewa have been chosen as this year’s recipients of The Julie Tewksbury Scholarship for Working Moms. Each of them received a $1,000 scholarship.

This marks the fourth year for the Bank-sponsored scholarship which was created to help support the efforts of working moms who want to grow professionally and personally as well as become great leaders in their fields and in the community. The scholarship pays homage to longtime Bank employee and working mom Julie Tewksbury, who served as Senior VP of Operations for Savings Bank of Walpole before retiring in 2020. Applications for this year’s scholarship were reviewed by a small panel comprised of local community leaders, bank employees and Julie herself.

Kimberly Allsopp has taken the art of juggling family, work and community involvement to a new level. The working mom, who has two young boys, has worked as a veterinarian at Court Street Veterinary Hospital for the past eight years and also serves as the Secretary on the Board of Directors for local nonprofit Rise for Baby and Family.

A love of animals and a passion for her vocation fuels Allsopp’s quest to expand her knowledge so she can provide a higher level of care for her patients. Specifically, she’s focused on becoming skilled with the diagnostic tool of ultrasound – a niche in veterinary care that’s underserved. The Keene resident’s long-term goal is to provide on-site ultrasound training to vets throughout more rural communities in New England. “I’m so grateful to have been awarded this scholarship which I’ll use to attend a new course sponsored by We Are Veterinary Education, one of the two leading providers of veterinary ultrasound CE,” says Allsopp. “This is a new offering for people wishing to expand past the ‘Intermediate/Advanced’ course work I’ve already completed and I’m very excited.”

Working mom Alexa Plewa loves to spend time with her children and her husband relaxing at their camp on Forest Lake in Winchester, roasting s’mores and enjoying the great outdoors. The Keene resident has been an educator for the past 16 years, dedicated to developing and supporting projects that have a “generational impact” on children and families. Working as a consultant through her company, Andylex Youth Programs, Plewa has spearheaded the development of family childcare networks both locally and throughout the state. In collaboration with the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation, she is responsible for creating The Bringing it Home Project and Monadnock Family Child Care Network. Plewa is centered on continuing her own professional growth and will use the scholarship to attend the National Association of Family Child Care annual conference in St. Louis.

“I’m excited to have exposure to ideas at the conference that inspire innovative thinking, learn from experts in other states and bring back a wealth of resources to New Hampshire,” says Plewa.  

“Savings Bank of Walpole is honored to recognize and Kimberly and Alexa for being named as our scholarship recipients,” says Mark Bodin, President for Savings Bank of Walpole. “We’re glad to ultimately help them realize their career goals within our local community and we wish them much success. They truly represent the very reason we offer this scholarship.”

With assets totaling $750 million, the Bank offers a wide range of financial products, including services to individuals, businesses and organizations. The Bank is affiliated with NH Mutual Bancorp, further enhancing the quality products and services it provides to customers. The Bank is a partner of the NHTrust¹ brand to better serve customers by providing localized trust and wealth management products and services. Savings Bank of Walpole is an equal housing lender, and member of the FDIC. For more information visit www.walpolebank.com or call (603) 352-1822.

¹Products and services made available through NHTrust are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency of the United States and are not deposits or obligations or guaranteed by the Bank and may lose value.