The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham recently honored nine high school seniors from the Greater Birmingham area with 2024 Youth of the Year scholarships at an award ceremony. Since 1970, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham has awarded more than a quarter of a million dollars in Youth of the Year scholarships to graduating seniors enrolled in Jefferson and Shelby County schools. This scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who exemplify characteristics of scholarship, citizenship, service, and leadership. To be eligible for the Youth of the Year Scholarship, the applicant must:
- Be a current resident of Jefferson or Shelby County
- Enroll as a full- or part-time student in any private or public accredited two- or four-year college or vocational-technical school for the upcoming academic year
- Demonstrate a solid academic performance with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Demonstrate active participation and leadership in community activities
- Demonstrate leadership skills and potential for leadership success
This year, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham had more than 80 applicants—the largest pool of applicants ever. The nine deserving scholars include:
Overall Kiwanis Youth of the Year Award Winner Katie Smith from Hewitt Trussville High School and Legacy Scholarship Winner Jacari Dillard from Ramsay IB High School. Other honorees and scholarship recipients: Elaina Burt from Briarwood Christian School, Jacari Dillard from Ramsay IB School, Sofian Laouzai from Jefferson County IB High School, Radhika Pant from Alabama School of Fine Arts, Riley Pierce from The Altamont School, Hedia Price from Mortimer Jordan High School, Shuntasia Williams from Wenonah High School, and Wyatt Williams from Vestavia Hills High School.
The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham boasts two former Kiwanis Youth of the Year Scholars in the club’s membership. Former Kiwanis Youth of the Year Scholar, Matt Lembke, is a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and past Kiwanis Club of Birmingham President, and Anoop Mishra, Vice President and Regional Executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Other notable past Kiwanis Youth of the Year Scholars include U. S. Senator Doug Jones. For more about the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, visit kcob.org.
If you know a Birmingham-area kid who shines, tell us about them! Email stephanie@jbmcmedia.com.