About the Fund
(1980-1999)
When 18-year-old Nicholas Megrath was killed just a few weeks before his high school graduation, a promising young life was cut tragically short. An honor student at the Academy of Environmental Science and Technology at Forest Hill Community High School, Nicholas had been accepted to Palm Beach Atlantic College and dreamed of becoming a teacher.
Nicholas was known for his kind and gentle demeanor, his strong faith, and his passion for learning. He was due to receive an award as the school’s top senior trigonometry student, and his teachers and classmates held him in high esteem. “He was kind, gentle, intelligent — just a super kid,” said Stuart Greydanus, a mathematics teacher at Forest Hill. Principal Carlos Rosello echoed the sentiment, calling him “just a great, great, great student.”
Nicholas brought creativity and enthusiasm to every endeavor. He once completed a history assignment by writing and performing original lyrics to Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” accompanying himself on guitar. His commitment to the Academy’s mission was clear through his participation in field studies, including environmental restoration projects at the Okeeheelee Nature Center and other sensitive areas across South Florida.
The Academy of Environmental Science and Technology integrates English, social studies, and technology with an environmental science curriculum, offering students unique opportunities for real-world learning, including water quality studies and climate monitoring. Nicholas exemplified the Academy’s vision, demonstrating academic excellence, environmental stewardship and a drive to make a difference.
Following his death, friends, family members and the Friends of the Environmental Academy established the Nicholas Megrath Scholarship Fund as a way to honor his memory and perpetuate the example he set. The fund is an endowment of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties and awards scholarships to outstanding students who demonstrate academic promise, community involvement and a commitment to environmental science.
“This scholarship honors Nick a great deal,” said his mother, Nancy Widell-Rousseau. “It will allow other students to go on and achieve the dream that he couldn’t achieve. It’s very touching to me.”
Through this fund, Nicholas Megrath’s spirit of compassion, scholarship and dedication lives on, inspiring new generations of students to pursue their dreams.
