The Rotary Club of Allen presented six $500 club scholarships and one $500 Dr. Steve Burch Memorial Scholarship to Class of 2020 Allen High School seniors.
Recipients included Allen High School seniors: Jennifer Magee, Alayna Bruccoliere, Sveda Jaffrey, Jenna Lowenburg, Somatta Pokharel, Victoria Viola-Prioli and Courtney White.
Jennifer Magee
Jennifer is graduating #158 in her class and will be attending TAMU in the fall where she plans to study Pre-Med with the goal of becoming an Orthopedic Physicians Assistant. “My favorite subjects are math and science. I like being a problem solver. I have had some really good math/science teachers at Allen High School including Mrs. Lamb, Mr. Brown and Mr. Haradem. I would like to use my strengths in these subjects to help others. That is why I would like to go into the medical field. I feel like my hard work paid off in these classes and gave me the opportunity to be the EMT program where I can put science and math to practical use.”
Jennifer has been a long-term volunteer at ACO, has gone on several church mission trips, volunteered as a Study Buddy and with the summer lunch program at Boyd Elementary School, and has been involved in numerous school activities including NHS and the PALs. She has two older siblings who are currently in college as well. Her Physics teacher wrote about Jennifer: “In the span of time that I have known Jennifer, she has proved to be intelligent, full of energy and encouraging to her peers. I can always count on her to keep trying and persevere when things get challenging. Ms. Magee probes further, asks questions, and takes ownership of her learning. She has a great work ethic, performed all tasks in class with ease and confidence, and is a natural leader.”
Rotary Club of Allen Scholarships for AHS 2020
Alayna Bruccoliere Alayna is graduating #242 in her class and plans to study Biology and is hoping to attend the University of Texas in Austin; her career goal is to become a neurologist/oncologist. She has worked part-time and is a member of the AHS Interact Club, Key Club, National Math Honor Club, National Science Club, and played soccer for AHS. Alayna is an IB scholar and one of her teachers wrote about her: “have the opportunity to teach Alayna in my two year IB Theory of Knowledge course. Alayna is one of our IB Full Diploma candidates. This says something special about Alayna. There are over 1,700 students in the senior class at Allen High School. Just over fifty of the students are IB Diploma candidates. Alayna thrives in challenging environments. She is a strong student who enjoys the process of learning. Alayna is a deep thinker and is self-reflective. What separates her is her work ethic, positive attitude, kindness, and maturity. Alayna holds herself to a high moral code. This is one reason she highly respected by her peers and the faculty at Allen High School.” Alayna has volunteered at Children’s Hospital and works with a group of students every week making sandwiches for homeless people in Dallas.
Syeda Jaffrey Syeda is graduating #136 in her class and plans to study Biology/Pre-Med at UTDallas. One of her teachers wrote about Syeda: “I had the pleasure of teaching Syeda Jaffrey in both my Calculus and AP Calculus class. Syeda is an intelligent, motivated student, and an excellent learner. Syeda is not idle in the classroom; she often asks questions that are insightful and complex. She has a thirst for knowledge and understanding, and a desire to apply that understanding in ways both practical and creative that will lead her to be a life-long learner and innovator. Syeda will be successful in any professional or academic endeavor because of her responsibility, work ethic, and attention to detail.” She is a member of the AHS Interact Club through which she has done multiple volunteer activities, is a member of NHS, National Math Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, and has been a Red Cross volunteer.
Jenna Lowenburg Graduating #235 in her class, Jenna plans to study Business at UT Dallas. She has been involved in many school activities including the WINGS program, serving as a Student Athletic Trainer and on the Student Leadership Council, NHS, and the Principal’s Advisory Team. She attended Camp RYLA in 2019 and one of her teachers wrote the following: “Although my experience with Jenna has mainly focused on the WINGS program, she has been an active member of both the National Honor Society and the Allen High School Athletic Training Program throughout her high school career. She has also served as a student leader through Eagle Training Camp, the Principal’s Advisory Team, and the Teacher Interview Team since August of 2018. As you can see, Jenna is extremely well-rounded and an active part of her school community! It has been a pleasure to get to know Jenna over the course of the last 2 ½ years, and I am excited to see what her future holds. Her impact and influence will be felt by our program for years to come.”
Somatta Pokharel Somatta is graduating #276 and plans to pursue Nursing at Texas Women’s University. Her favorite subject has been AB Biology and she hopes to use her medical training to improve the wellbeing of people in underserved countries. She has volunteered with the Allen Arts Alliance and was a member of HOSA and NHS. Her teacher described her this way: “Somatta is a responsible, intelligent young woman. She was an absolute joy to have in class as she was personable, hardworking and teachable. She loved to learn new material and to be able to apply the concepts to her daily life. She was a positive presence in the classroom whether she was interacting with peers or involved in a classroom discussion. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to teach her and believe any monies awarded her will be money well spent.”
Victoria Viola-Prioli Victoria is graduating #323 in her class and plans to attend an art school and major in Art/Graphic Design and Animation. She has been a member of the National Art honor Society and volunteered with many of their projects, and is active in the AHS Environmental Club. Her animation teacher wrote: “Victoria is an excellent student! She is always involved with animation every way she can. Last summer she went to a workshop at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). She also plans to attend SCAD next year. This year she is working with a very talented group of animators on a 3 minute animation with hopes of getting all the way to the top of the UIL competition. I feel Victoria is one of those rare students who knows at an early age what she wants to do for a living and she is actively making plans to make that become real. I highly recommend Victoria for the this scholarship!”
Courtney White Courtney is graduating #569 in her class and plans to study Communications/Sports Broadcasting at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Her volunteer work has included a mission trip, volunteering for PTA, and helping at her church. She has worked part-time during high school and has been active with AHS Broadcasting and soccer. Her teacher stated: “Courtney has been a leader for the team she assigned to in class since the beginning of the school year. Whenever I need students to form groups to solve more challenging problems, Courtney is able to get those around her to do their best and they are often very successful. Courtney displays a passion to share her story with everyone around her and she has strong confidence in her abilities and never turns away from challenges.”