REGION – The Crown Point Board of Realtors announces the recipients of the $1,000 Sammy Pierce Memorial Scholarship. The recipients are Emma Wentz and Marlayna King.
A graduate of Mill River High School, Emma Wentz is a dedicated student, an exceptional leader, an award-winning ballet dancer, and the class valedictorian. A member of the Mill River Student Leadership Team, she represented Mill River at HOBY, earning the Presidential Volunteer Award. Her multiple year volunteer activities over the summer months assisting educators to provide extended school year services for elementary students is something she is passionate about and proud of. In September, Emma will be attending the Honors College at UVM, to major in anthropology of global health, with the hope of working in humanitarian efforts abroad. Travelling the world, teaching, and working with people from every background has been one of her top goals.
Marlayna King, who graduated from Green Mountain Union High School, will also be headed to UVM in September to study the psychological sciences and explore the possibility of a career as a school psychologist. She has channeled her leadership roles, being a voice for underrepresented students, serving as president of Interact, participating in the principal search, and working with the school board, to inspire others to work proactively to make positive change. She has volunteered with the conservation committee to help build nature trails and assists with Green Up Days. Marlayna has a desire to provide emotional and educational support to children with behavioral challenges, by teaching coping skills, kindness, compassion, and care, and to provide the validation that under- served kids often lack but deserve.
The Sammy Pierce Memorial Scholarship is sponsored by the Crown Point Board of Realtors and Mrs. Rita Pierce, to honor the late Sammy Pierce. Sammy was a highly regarded realtor known for his volunteerism and willingness to help where needed. For more information, contact Helen Wachtel, scholarship chair, at hwachtel@brattbank.com.