PHILADELPHIA, PA – 10/11/2011 – Youth Action is excited to announce its first recipients of the Ann C. Phillips Scholarship Fund. Sponsored by the Stafford Foundation the scholarship fund has awarded individual $1,000 grants  to five deserving 2011 high school graduates in the Greater Philadelphia area.

The selection committee was impressed with their commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and community service.  This scholarship acknowledges that the selected students will continue their success in these areas during their college career and beyond.

Selection committee member and Youth Action Board member James Jones states “the scholarship attracted many qualified applicants and it was an honor to read their essays and dreams for the future.”

Youth Action members and supporters established the Ann C. Phillips Scholarship Fund to commemorate the life and legacy of Ann Phillips, a beloved friend and Youth Action Ally who until her death in 2010 offered professional guidance and many contributions to Youth Action since its founding in 2003. It is the first such scholarship honoring an individual who has been associated with Youth Action.

 

Here are the profiles of the five scholarship
recipients:

Ricardo Brens of Philadelphia graduated from Thomas Edison High School as his school’s Salutatorian and National Honor Society President. Ricardo arrived from the Dominican Republic two years ago and is the first in his family to attend college.  Remarkably, as an English as a Second Language student he excelled in several of Edison’s Advance Placement courses. While volunteering in the community with several of his classmates, Ricardo worked with the Red Cross Club and helped raise $2,000 for Japan’s Tsunami Relief Efforts. He also helped raise $1,500 for the March of Dimes pregnancy and health organization. He is currently a freshman at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. After college, Ricardo plans to earn a master’s degree in information technology and pursue a career in this field.

 

Ricardo believes “being involved in the community can be one of the best experiences we may have in our lives and people who do it, can become a role model to lead others and make them join a community team.”

 

 

 

Milan Davis of Elkins Park, PA is a graduate Cheltenham High School and currently a freshman at Hampton University in Virginia. As a student at Cheltenham, Milan enrolled herself in academic programs such as Advance Placement courses, Temple University’s Physician Science Program, and a member of the Allied Health Program for Arts and Technology.  She was also a member of her school’s Cheerleading Team, Dance Team Captain, and African American Student League. Furthermore, she participated in her church’s Youth Usher Board and Choir.  In addition, Milan has served her community through her involvement with Youth Action where she was a Junior Youth Action mentor to elementary and middle school children. Milan one day hopes to become a nurse.

Milan claims that “community involvement and leadership go hand in hand. Both help to define a person’s character and essentially help aid in efforts to make communities an overall better place.”

 

 

 

Bradley Harley of Philadelphia is a graduate of George Washington Carver High School for Engineering and Science and is now a student at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He is a 2011 Urban League of Philadelphia Bernard Watson Scholarship winner and a Drexel University Marshall Brennan Literacy Project Award Winner.  During his time at Carver, Harley dedicated several hours of community service through his participation in various beautification projects.

Bradley believes “that as a people we owe it to communities around the world to do as much as we can to serve people.  Giving back to the community is of the upmost importance and is very instrumental in building strong leadership skills.”

 

 

 

 

Kirstin Kearns of Philadelphia is a graduate of Strawberry Mansion High School and a freshman at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. Kearns, the first in her family to attend college was the President of her school’s Student Government Association. She also served as the Chairperson of the Anti-Violence Committee for Philadelphia’s City-Wide Student Government. In addition, she interned for the School District of Philadelphia. In the future, she hopes to become a criminal attorney.

Kristin values community service “because someone gave to me and it’s only right for me to give to someone else.”

 

 

 

 

Kelly Smith of Philadelphia is a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Business and Technology and is currently a freshman at Bloomsbury University of Pennsylvania. Kelly served as the Vice-President of her school’s Future Business Leaders of America Chapter and a member of her school’s graduation and yearbook committees. She participated as a member of Youth Action and served as a coordinator for the team’s Governance Committee. For her extensive involvement in the community, Kelly is also the recipient of Comcast’s Leaders and Achiever Scholarship. She plans to pursue a career in information technology and business management.

Kelly Smith explains “I have been taught the importance of community involvement is to be a blessing to someone else. Taking a leadership role, being responsible to help others in need, and improving the communities that we live in, is just another way to make this world a better place.”

 

 

 

 

 

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