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Chester County Press

Upland graduate nominated for National Collegiate Humanitarian Award

03/03/2015 01:25PM ● By Richard Gaw
Upland Country Day School graduate, Kelsie Fralick, has been nominated for the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey National Humanitarian Award for two consecutive years. She is one of only three nominees to receive back-to-back nominations, and one of only 15 student athletes nominated nationally for the award this year.

Kelsie is from Chadds Ford, and is a senior and starting goalie at Connecticut College. She graduated from Upland in 2007.

Marking its 20th anniversary this year, the Hockey Humanitarian Award is presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen – a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to the team, but to the community through leadership in volunteerism. The 2015 recipient will be recognized in a ceremony on April 10 as part of the NCAA Men's Frozen Four in Boston.

Fralick was nominated for her contributions to several organizations – The Special Olympics Speed Skating Team, the Be the Match Program, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program and Adopt A Family programs. Her dedication to serving those in need began during her years at Upland where she volunteered at Tick Tock Early Learning Center and Operation Warm, collecting coats for the area’s less fortunate.

"Over the past four years, Kelsie Fralick has led our team on the ice," said Connecticut College head women's hockey coach Kristin Steele. "Her amazing acrobatics in the net have been an inspiring and steadying force since she joined us. Our team knows Kelsie's best efforts will be there for them each day on and off the ice. Over the last four years, Kelsie has been giving her time and heart to the Special Olympics Speed Skating Team of Southeastern Conn. Each Monday morning, Kelsie joins the group for practice. She challenges, pushes, encourages and sometimes races these special athletes."

Working with the "Be the Match" program, Fralick has organized bone marrow testing drives on the Connecticut College campus and raised the awareness for the program across other campuses in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). She has also volunteered with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Organization. Fralick and her Connecticut College teammates help the Adopt a Family program during the holiday season.

After graduating from Upland, Kelsie attended the Hotchkiss School and graduated in 2011. Currently a senior at Connecticut College, she is double majoring in classics and anthropology, and is the starting goalie on the Connecticut College Women’s Ice Hockey team. She was a Dean’s List student during her first year, and was named the Camels’ Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

Kelsie returns to Upland frequently to cheer on the school’s ice hockey teams – her younger sister is currently on the Girls’ Varsity team – to play in the annual Alumni Winter Weekend hockey games, and to share her experiences on and off the ice with Upland students. In October, she visited with Upper School history classes to share her experiences on a six-week archaeological dig in Orvieto, Italy. She plans to pursue a career in education after graduation.