2010 - 2009 Scholarship Recipients

2010 Scholarship Recipients

Julie Mahoney, International Baccalaureate School, Bartow – 2010
Julie Mahoney, graduate of IB at Bartow High School and current freshman at Northwestern University, held student government leadership positions throughout high school. She served on the Bartow High Advisory Council, where she helped develop a school improvement plan. Julie also served as President of the Future Business Leaders of America club and as a delegate at Congressional Classroom in Washington, DC. An avid athlete, Julie was a varsity starter for the girls’ basketball team, beginning in 9th grade, promoted to captain in 10th grade. She led the team in scoring and received the Coach’s Award and MVP recognition twice during her career. Leveraging her passion for sports, Julie rallied her basketball teammates to take part in a mentoring program for elementary school students, teaching the fundamentals and the importance of good health and wellness. She was awarded the Lakeland Ledger Silver Garland Award for Athletics and the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Obama’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. At Northwestern, Julie plans to major in biomedical sciences and receive her law degree.

Kristina Pickens, Harrison School of the Arts – 2010
Florida State University freshman Kristina Pickens always had a voice for community service – literally. As a vocal major at Harrison School of the Arts in Lakeland, Kristina was selected to participate in a number of prestigious vocal programs, including All-State Concert Choir, All-County Choir, ACDA Honor Choir and numerous church choirs. With a passion for history and government, Kristina was selected to attend the Congressional Classroom in Washington, DC, in her junior year. Following that, she joined the Polk County Teen Court program where she served as both a jury member and a clerk. Kristina also volunteered for numerous charity organizations, including Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Today, Kristina plans to major in Political Science and ultimately work for the United States Department of State.

Prachiti Dalvi, International Baccalaureate School, Bartow – 2010
With a passion for science and research, Prachiti Dalvi graduated fifth in her class from the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High School. During her high school tenure, Prachiti spent much of her time devoted to medical research. Her Alzheimer’s disease research won her acclaim in a number of national and international competitions, including the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. In 2009, Prachiti was elected to a panel of students who had the opportunity to interview seven Nobel Laureates and a Fellow of the Royal Society at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Nevada. In her junior year of high school, Prachiti co-founded “Inspire to Aspire,” a non-profit organization grounded in the belief that by applauding students at a young age for their inquisitive thinking, society can empower them to make a positive difference in their communities through their own research. She worked with more than 800 elementary and middle school students to pique their interest in science. Prachiti is currently a freshman at Duke University and focused on a pre-med curriculum.
 

2009 Scholarship Recipient 

Anna Edwards, Lakeland High School – 2009
Lakeland High School graduate and current University of Florida freshman, Anna Edwards was the inaugural recipient of the Randy Roberts Foundation scholarship in June 2009. In addition to spending more than 200 hours on volunteer and community service projects throughout her high school career, she was the founder and president of the Lakeland High School Green Team, an environmental club dedicated to providing environmental volunteer opportunities throughout the Lakeland community. With her leadership, they created Lakeland High School’s first recycling program. In addition to working with the Green Team, Anna also spent five hours per week teaching ballroom dancing and etiquette to sixth-ninth graders. At the University of Florida, Anna is a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and majoring in Advertising. She plans to continue her community service work in college and after: “I hope that my actions while at school will demonstrate that anything can be done, as long as you believe in what you are working towards.”