3 Utah High School Students Among 10 Recipients of Westminster College’s $600,000 Exemplary Achievement Award
June 2, 2006
Students from across the country competed to receive prestigious scholarship
SALT LAKE CITY - Westminster College announced the recipients of the 2006 Exemplary Achievement Award, a highly competitive scholarship of $15,000 per year awarded for four years. The Westminster Scholarship Committee selected 10 students from 270 applicants to receive these awards based on exceptional achievement during high school. The Exemplary Achievement Award recognizes students’ achievement in all areas, including community service, leadership, the arts, civic participation, athletics, the sciences and writing, as well as their ability to overcome personal challenges and hardships.
The Westminster College 2006 Exemplary Achievement Award recipients are:
Linley Bowen graduated from Highland High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. She intends to pursue a degree in nursing at Westminster. Bowen is a dedicated athlete and volunteer. She played for the Highland High School girl’s soccer and basketball teams, and was captain of the junior varsity and then the varsity girl’s basketball team. She also coaches basketball for a team of 9-year-old girls.
In November of 2005, Bowen participated in Operation Nameste, which in Hindu means “heart-to-heart,” traveling to India with 20 other students to visit four different orphanages and touching the lives of more than 200 orphans. The group helped make much needed repairs, performed medical assessments of the children and distributed supplies. For Bowen, the trip was the culmination of a year’s worth of work raising money, collecting supplies and training as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Bowen has been an active member of the Key Club, the Rotary Club and the National Honor Society. She has volunteered with UNICEF, Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and the Christmas Box House.
Ann Marie Green graduated from Olympus High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. She intends to study pre-law at Westminster. Green and her siblings were raised by their single mother, who developed severe health problems during Green’s childhood. Since the onset of her mother’s health problems, Green has taken care of most of the household responsibilities for her family.
Despite being busy at home, Green managed to graduate eighth in her class at Olympus High School with a 3.99 GPA and has participated in many extracurricular activities, including National Honor Society (NHS), French Club, church clubs and other community service organizations. She has received numerous awards for her service, including a Young Women in Excellence Award, a Kiwanis International Award and a Daughter of the American Revolution Award.
Marci D. Bishop, Green’s National Honor Society advisor, said, “Ann knows the value of seizing every opportunity for growth and learning, and she succeeds. That she makes time for others, too, testifies to her maturity.”
Natasha Angela Khan graduated from Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville, Utah. She intends to major in art at Westminster. Khan lived in California as a small child, moving often to accommodate her father’s career as a professional squash player. She moved to Salt Lake City with her mother and sister when she was five years old, after her father was forced to return to Pakistan following a long and costly battle with immigration. He planned to return to the U.S., but he was killed before he could be reunited with his family. Khan attributes her drive to overcome hardships and her love for helping others to her father.
Khan has spent the last three summers volunteering with the American Red Cross Blood Services. She has also volunteered with the Utah Foster Care Foundation’s Annual Chalk Art Festival and with the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. She has received several awards for her work, including the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Khan was also a member of the National Honor Society at her high school. Darlene Gertsch, Khan’s English teacher at Taylorsville High School, said, “Natasha goes far beyond a teacher’s expectations; indeed, she typifies the hope of her generation. Natasha is a catalyst for good things happening.”
Out of state award recipients included:
Devon Christine Gere graduated from Kentlake High School in Kent, Wash. She loves creative expression, especially ballet. She found her love for volunteering through her recovery from anorexia, an eating disorder she has battled for much of her high school career. Despite her disorder, she excelled in high school and achieved honors in all her classes. She was a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers at the Weatherly Inn, a home for Alzheimer’s patients.
Robin Spencer-Ray Hill graduated from Bozeman High School in Bozeman, Mont. He began his service to the community by volunteering as a non-profit birthday clown, making appearances at birthday parties, fundraisers and benefits. His services are often requested by non-profit organizations that focus on mentally handicapped adults and terminally ill children. In addition, Hill and his family organize an annual free Thanksgiving dinner for the needy of Bozeman, and he volunteers with several youth organizations in his hometown.
Deseret Humphrys graduated from Highland High School in Gilbert, Ariz. with a 4.0 GPA. She is an avid volunteer, and has worked with the Extra Mile Community Service Club, Relay for Life and the American Sign Language Club. She was a member of the Highland High School Math Club and received an Excellence in Mathematics Certificate for Outstanding Achievement.
Brody Leven graduated from West Geauga High School in Chesterland, Ohio. Through the success of his disc jockey business, which he founded in 1996, Leven was able to attend Mount Snow Academy, a five-month skiing and academic program in West Dover, Vt. Leven volunteers with several teen organizations, including PANDA (Prevent and Neutralize Drug and Alcohol Abuse), STAMP (Student Tobacco Athlete Mentor Program), the American Cancer Society, the West Geauga Education Foundation, the Tsunami Recovery Aid and the American Red Cross.
Jayci Robb graduated from Park City High School in Park City, Utah. She has overcome the adversity posed by cerebral palsy and has dedicated countless hours giving back to her community. She launched and maintained a pop tab recycling program to benefit a local Ronald McDonald House, and it is estimated that over the past six years she has helped to bring in over 400 pounds of pop tabs for recycling. She is also an accomplished skier and equestrian.
Sydney N. Young graduated from Chelsea High School in Chelsea, Mich. Despite facing the loss of most of her immediate family at a very young age, Young has excelled both in school and in extracurricular activities. She has been a member of her school’s Archery League, the Ski and Snowboard Club, the Spanish Club and the National Honor Society, and has held several seats in the student council, including Senior Class Vice President. Young has also worked as a volunteer with several youth organizations.
Joel Bauman, vice president of enrollment at Westminster College, said, “It was a privilege to read their files and to be able to formally recognize such an exceptional group of students. In rewarding exceptional achievement or overcoming adversity, the college seeks to honor students who embody the high value we place on excellence. It was difficult for the committee to choose among so many highly qualified applicants, however I know the students we selected will enrich our community of learners and add vibrancy to our classrooms.”
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