Marion Bryan Citizenship Award

Ask 10 of your closest Bedford friends if they would enjoy being a public-school substitute teacher and my guess is they would respond, “Sorry, it is not on my bucket list.”  Unless, of course, your friend’s name just happened to be Marion Bryan, Bedford’s longest-serving substitute teacher.  Mrs. Bryan, the mother of seven, began subbing in the 1970’s.  At 4 feet, 11 inches “tall” and 89+ years “young,” she is a vibrant, recognizable figure with a megawatt smile that-lights up a room, and who genuinely loves working with BHS, JGMS and Lane students.

“When people ask me what I teach, I say Life, mostly.  I share ideas with the students on the value of learning and how to get the most out of their education by telling them they are their own best teacher.  I stress the pleasure of dictionary use.  When students say they are finished, I say “review it to retain it.”  I speak of their wonderful brains and say, “Pack it in.”  You never know when you will need what you learn this very day at some time in your future.  So, pack it in.  You are preparing your mind for life’s journey.  It’s like packing your suitcase with what you will need for a trip.”

Seeing Mrs. Bryan interact with her students, you quickly notice how positively they respond to her and feel connected to her.  As former students and now parents, many of us can probably recall an occasion with a substitute teacher where students did their best to put one over on the sub.  When JR White, a 2013 BHS graduate, was asked if Mrs. Bryan is subjected to such behavior, he replied “Students respect Mrs. Bryan because she is just awesome, and kids do their best to act accordingly when she is in the classroom.  If a student in the class does act up, it is not uncommon for other students to tell that person to knock it off because she does not deserve it.  Mrs. Bryan is also pretty good on her own dealing with a student who is out of line.  We all looked forward to having her fill in when necessary because she had a good sense of humor, lots of life experience and stories to share and was sincerely interested in us as people.”

Justine Molloy, BHS 2013 commented, “Mrs. Bryan is a wonderful woman with an infectious smile.  She was everyone’s favorite sub. She would play games if the teacher forgot a lesson plan, or she would tell us stories about her life, and it was always so interesting.  Both of my parents grew up in Bedford and remember having her as a teacher so whenever I would see her, she would ask how my family was, and you could tell she really cared about what I had to say.  I can’t say enough good things about her.  Honestly, she is just someone who has the ability to leave a mark on someone, she has that special something.  I am very lucky to know her!”

The Bedford Minuteman Company presented the Marion Bryan Citizenship Award to Bedford High School senior Sayontika Bhattacharya on April 11, 2026, as part of the company’s Liberty Pole Raising ceremony.  The award is named for longtime Bedford substitute teacher Marion Bryan.

2026 Recipient

Sayontika Bhattacharya

The 2026 recipient of the Marion Bryan Citizenship is Sayontika Bhattacharya a senior at Bedford High – She has volunteered through an organization called EKAM in Boston for many years, preparing food for the unhoused in Boston, crocheting hats to hand out during the winter months, and educating students in Uganda through a virtual class.

Some of Sayontika’s accomplishments during life and her academic year are:

Sayontika is an outstanding student, caring person, and excellent leader.  She is a National Merit Commended Student and a member of the National Honor Society, serving as Vice President this year.  Community service is a huge part of her life. 

She also served as a tour guide at the Massachusetts State House last summer.  Sayontika serves as President of multiple community-focused clubs at Bedford High School, including the UNICEF chapter, where she and her team organize fundraisers. As a leader of the Crochet Club, she organizes students to create hats for community members in need, often integrating this skill during visits with local senior citizens.  As a talented musician, she is a member of the Honors Choir, a pianist, and has held significant roles in school musicals.  She creates beautiful artwork and actively contributes to the Art Club, school mural design, and the drama department’s stage crew for set designs.  An outstanding writer, she contributes art and creative writing to the STYLUS, Bedford High School’s literary magazine, and she crafts poetry, winning first place at last year’s BHS Annual Poetry Slam.  Sayontika Bhattacharya is an inquisitive young woman with a wealth of academic and volunteer experience who leads by example, helping others in the community, both locally and globally.

She also leads the Never-Ending Poppies club, whose members honor veterans by creating and delivering cards to our local VA.  More than 1,200 individually made paper poppies added color and meaning to the Memorial Day mood at Veterans Memorial Park on Monday.

The heart-shaped array on the grass was the work of the Never Fading Poppy Project, a recently established student club at Bedford High School.  Sayontika Bhattacharya and fellow sophomore Anjie Chen brought the project to BHS, learning about it from friends at Lexington High School where it began in 2020.  There are now branches at high schools in six states.

“We thought it was such a cool idea to connect the generations through art,” said Bhattacharya.  She added that the club also sends handmade Memorial Day cards to residents of the Veterans Administration Hospital.

Bedford High School’s annual Poetry Slam took place on Tuesday in the BHS library, hosted by Jamele Adams.  The Poetry Slam started with open activities such as black-out poetry and other activities that encouraged the 50 or so event attendees to be creative and show their artistic side while writing poetry.  After this, audience members shared their poems and expressed themselves on an open mic. Then the competition was held and judged by three BHS English teachers who were referred to as “Aficionados of Numbers.”

The first-place winner, Sayontika,  says her poems “Simmer Down” and “Rotting Leaves” were inspired by her “emotions” and “things that happened in my life.”  She also says, “I write what I want,” showing her free spirit.  Sayontika’s delivery and passion when speaking wowed the crowd and left people moved.  Check out “Simmer Down“.

(Courtesy of Ann Ringwood)

Sayontika was presented with an additional award by the Bedford Minuteman Memorial Scholarship Trust.  Secretary Chuck Hacala, also a Bedford Minuteman, presented Sayontika with a check to assist with her education.  She was surprised and extremely grateful for the scholarship award from the Memorial Scholarship Trust.

Congratulations Sayontika!