United Way awarded two high school students with college scholarships for outstanding volunteerism

WICHITA, Kan., May 12, 2011 — United Way of the Plains recently awarded two of its annual college scholarships to area high school seniors. The following two students received an Aaron Joel Smith Memorial Youth Volunteer Scholarship which honors high school seniors for outstanding volunteerism in the community.

$600 Winner: Sarakida Toy attends Wichita Heights High School and has logged over 135 volunteer hours since February 2009. Sarakida also is a two year member of United Way’s YOUnited Teens volunteering group and enjoys volunteering at the free dental clinic at Grace Med, where he can use his second language and help translate for the dentists. Over a three day weekend, Sarakida volunteered to help the Salvation Army pack food to be sent to Haiti.  He was promoted on the third day to train and supervise new volunteers.

$1,000 Winner: Nicole Shaw attends Wichita North High School and has accumulated over 150 volunteer hours since 2008.  Nicole is a three year member of United Way’s YOUnited Teens volunteering group and has also volunteered the last three years during her school’s spring break for  United Way’s Youth Days of Caring.  In addition to her United Way volunteering, Nicole’s love of medicine has her volunteering at Via Christi Health, Guadalupe Health Clinic and the Blood Services Donation Center at the American Red Cross.

Each year, United Way’s Dwane L. Wallace Youth Venture Grant Committee, made up of high school students, gathers applications for the memorial scholarship. This scholarship is a tribute to Aaron Joel Smith, a Northeast Magnet High School student who was killed in a car accident on his way to lead a United Way campaign rally. Each year, United Way remembers Aaron’s enthusiastic and generous spirit with this scholarship.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Delane Butler, Vice President of Marketing, (316) 267-1321