2024 Scholars

Audrey Ruth Bays
Langley, KY
Eastern Kentucky University

Ruthie’s character and leadership are rooted in family values, determination, and compassion. She has left a positive impact on her small, rural community in many ways - most notably at school, where she held leadership roles in the classroom, on the stage, and on the field: president of Student Council, treasurer for HOSA, vice president of National Honor Society, award-winning ambassador for the Student Technology Leadership Program, and more. Ruthie’s presence and personality are evident as she was a lead actress in the drama program and captain of the cheerleading squad, for which she was named All American Cheerleader by the Universal Cheer Association. Her community service – beginning with her presidency of the Youth Service Center Council – extends to her church, tutoring, and recently, to supporting her community in the wake of devastating floods. From Langley, Kentucky, Ruthie will attend Eastern Kentucky University.

Makyla Cervantes
northridge, ca
stanford university

Makyla understands the power of marrying passion with policy and using her voice to advocate for change. At 14 years old, in an effort to bring dance instruction to the Latino community in a financially accessible way, Makyla formed a nonprofit through which she has navigated securing federal funding, hiring instructors, and serving more than 1,200 students. Dance is also personal to Makyla, as she has been president, teacher’s assistant, and choreographer for her school’s dance team. She completed a legislative internship for a local Assembly Member and teaches financial literacy to low-income students through Operation RISE. She was founder and co-president of the Women in Business Association, which utilizes career panels, networking events, and financial literacy lessons led by Pepperdine University mentors to inspire 164 teen girls, for which she received the Gold Hispanic Heritage Youth Award. President of DECA, Makyla is from Northridge, California, and will attend Stanford University.

Lynn Dyer
higgingsville, mo
Northwest Missouri State University

The lessons of grit, authenticity, and grace drive Lynn to persevere through disappointments and recognize that people are uniquely gifted to lead and serve in their own ways. Lynn is embedded in her own rural farming community through Future Farmers of America and 4H. She served as Missouri state vice president for FFA, an organization that so inspires her that she hopes to serve as an agriculture educator and FFA advisor. She was also vice president for the state 4H council, an organization she has served from raising cattle to computer programming. Lynn’s leadership also was present at school, where she served as president of the Student Council, chapter president of Future Business Leaders of America, president of the National Honor Society, and numerous academic clubs. A committed volunteer for Missouri Special Olympics, she also balanced employment and her 4.5 GPA. From Higginsville, Missouri, Lynn will attend Northwest Missouri State University.

 

nicole foto
staten island, ny
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education

Nicole is a communicator and an advocate, using her voice and her bilingual capabilities to share information to her communities, whether that be school or cultural. Award-winning Editor-in-Chief for her school newspaper, Nicole was president of the Asian Culture Club, a Key Club officer, a Student Union representative, a physics tutor, and more. She is passionate about the medical field and public health, serving as president of the Medical Wednesdays Club and a student leader for Columbia University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. After noticing that her region exhibited high cancer rates, she worked with Project Sun Safe to spread sun safety information, particularly among immigrant families like her own. This work extended to a full-fledged campaign, including school assemblies, local events, and the distribution of free sunscreen. From Staten Island, New York, Nicole will attend the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education.

Dhruv K. Girish
frederick, md
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

With his faith and personal experiences at the forefront, Dhruv’s humanitarianism is astounding, earning him accolades such the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, IMPACT Award Honoree by Frederick County Public Schools, top 20 most influential students in the District of Columbia/Maryland/Virginia area by a local TV station, and more. After engaging with the Governor of Maryland about the homelessness and mental health crisis in Baltimore, he was appointed to the Maryland Youth Advisory Council, for which he was a two-time Points of Light national honoree. A public health policy major, Dhruv worked at a local hospital, was a research assistant at the National Cancer Institute, founded a nonprofit that supports the distribution of vaccines in rural India, and served as chapter president of HOSA. Dhruv hails from Frederick, Maryland, with a 4.86 GPA and will attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

elianna huang
norman, ok
university of pennsylvania 

Elianna is on track to continue using her aptitude for business, public policy, and entrepreneurship for good. She committed nearly 1,000 hours as president of the Share and Grow student board, earning the Gold Americorps Volunteer Service Award. In partnership with a UCLA Ph.D. student, she conducted a geo-ethnographic study on the food accessibility of rural, urban, suburban, and Native American reservation regions of Oklahoma. Armed with the knowledge that her community has limited access to healthy food, Elianna co founded Vito Baskets, an eco-friendly food delivery company that partners with a network of local farmers to distribute weekly baskets of fresh produce. She served as executive intern for the Greater Oklahoma City Asian Chamber of Commerce, co-president of Oklahoma Voters of Tomorrow, and as a page for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and placed among the top 50 student debaters in the country. Elianna is from Norman, Oklahoma, and will travel east to attend the University of Pennsylvania.

ella brie mayor
simi valley, ca
university of california, berkeley

Seeing a deficiency in the coverage of public health concerns in school curriculum, Ella partnered with two Harvard alumnae to form Youth in Science & Public Health, a nonprofit designed for students to explore the broader impacts of science investigations in addressing broader determinants of health. Her passion for medicine and public health extended to recognitions including the Distinguished Service Award for volunteerism at a local medical center, the Impactful Outreach Award for her service to the American Red Cross’ Humanitarian Law Youth Action Campaign, the Excellence in Patient Advocacy Award at a local hospital, Explorer and Officer of the Year for the Ventura County Medical Explorers, president of HOSA, and research affiliations with numerous universities. Outside of medicine, Ella was Associated Student Body vice president, president of the Santa Susana Peer Tutoring nonprofit, and a library volunteer. From the home of the Reagan Library, Simi Valley, California, Ella will attend the University of California, Berkeley.

Kyler Martin Rieken
oakland, ia
drake university

Kyler is what we call a triple threat, excelling in academics, sports, and the arts. He has served his school community as class president, president of the Student Council, president of the National Honor Society, and student representative for his school’s district’s school board. On the field and court, he was a varsity athlete for football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track and field, and swimming, serving as captain for two teams, earning the State of Iowa Heisman Scholar Athlete distinction, and being named to the All-State Academic Team for football. In addition, Kyler was a two-time selection to the Iowa All-State Choir and a member of award-winning band. He further excelled in Future Farmers of America, 4H, Speech, and as a committed volunteer for his church. Kyler is from Oakland, Iowa, and will attend Drake University.

Saraphina Wambi
overland park, ks
northwestern university

In her own words, “As an American with two immigrant parents from Congo and Guyana, from a young age, I was taught the importance of having hope, empathy, and developing a global perspective.” As an award-winning president of Model United Nations, Saraphina discovered the value of diplomacy and understanding the world’s interconnectedness. Closer to home, she is class president, president of the Black Student Union, and a writer, editor, and award-winning podcast host for her student newspaper. Aspiring to be a servant leader, Saraphina founded her school’s chapter of Team Up for St. Jude, inspired by the passing of her cousin to leukemia. She was varsity tennis captain, an orchestra member, and a dedicated volunteer for the University of Kansas Medical Center Alzheimer's Disease Lab, which she plans to study further in college. Saraphina is from Overland Park, Kansas, and will attend Northwestern University.

sophia weber
herington, ks
auburn university

Sophia’s leadership has extended from the local to the state to the national levels. Captain of the volleyball, basketball, and golf teams, she was a drama lead and captain of the competitive forensics team. Sophia served as president of the Student Council, president of the National Honor Society, and founder of the broadcasting club. She was a representative for the Kansas State High School Activities Association Student Advisory Team and president of the Kansas Future Business Leaders of America – ultimately becoming a national officer presiding over eight states and speaking to 15,000 conference attendees. She was a youth basketball and volleyball coach, a swim instructor, a lifeguard, and a church volunteer. Originally from Ethiopia and now from Herington, Kansas, Sophia will attend Auburn University.