The Kiwanis Club awarded $50,000 in scholarships to 10 Menlo-Atherton High School graduating seniors on May 22 at the Allied Arts Guild.
The Menlo Park Kiwanis Club has provided college scholarships to M-A graduating seniors, based on academic performance, for more than 40 years — awards totaling more than $1.1 million. This year’s scholarship awards totaled $50,000.
The 2018 scholarship winners are:
• Lizbeth Betancourt, who plans to attend University of California-Merced to study management and business economics.
• Lynn Butzlaff, who will be attending Kenyon College in Ohio to study English and creative writing.
• Stella Kailahi, who was the winner of the Anna May Duncan Memorial Scholarship. She will be attending San Diego State studying courses that will lead to a career in either public health or athletic training.
• Schuyler Knapp, who received the Les Cutting Memorial Scholarship. He plans to study chemical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
• Karl Liebner, who plans to study environmental science and management at University of California-Davis.
• Leslie Ochoa, who will be attending Loyola Marymount College in Los Angeles. She plans to study psychology.
• Damara Ortega, who was awarded the William D. Martin Memorial Scholarship. She will attend the University of California-Merced studying psychology and other classes that will lead her to a career in physical therapy.
• Anysleydi Sandoval, who will focus on public health studies when she attends University of California-Merced this fall.
• Isabelle Sapountzis, who received the Damon Wedding Memorial Scholarship. She will be in a pre-med program at Colgate University in central New York state.
• Yacaranday Saray Vazquez, who plans to attend San Jose State and will take courses in business, accounting, and policing, which she hopes will lead to a career in probation work.
“We interview many students graduating from M-A to learn more about their academic achievements, commitments to service, and plans for college,” said John Martin, chair of the Kiwanis Club’s Scholarship Committee, in a written statement. “In addition to their academic honors, the 10 finalists have a broad range of interests, and each has expressed them through extensive school and community involvement. This year’s scholarship winners are exceptional and very motivated. They are tomorrow’s leaders, and we hope our Kiwanis scholarships help them achieve their dreams.”
In addition, the Menlo Park Kiwanis Club earlier this year gave $5,000 to the M-A Football Association to fund a new program that helps players visit colleges and football camps in the pursuit of scholarships. This effort has already resulted in five scholarship offers for M-A Bear football players, with more than 10 offers pending or expected, according to the club.
The Menlo Park Kiwanis Club is one of more than 15,000 Kiwanis Clubs around the world. Through its Christmas tree lot and other fundraising activities throughout the year, the club supports many local programs and organizations. More information about the Kiwanis Club is available at menloparkkiwanisclub.org.
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