Trio of graduates receive scholarships

It was a fancy spread of the finest Italian foods for three proud graduates, recently presented with scholarships by the Valley Stream Kiwanis Club at Villa Marcello.

Katie Moltz, Joseph Mando and Isabel Escalante each received $500 scholarships on June 28. Surrounded by family and friends, the teens were full of happiness and very thankful. “I feel really honored,” Escalante said, “because I sense times are tough with college. It’s really nice to be honored by the community.”

Escalante, 18, who just graduated from Central High School on June 24, is very active in the neighborhood. She volunteers at the Holy Name of Mary Church rectory, leading a Hispanic youth group. At school, she was a member of the Language and National Honor Societies, and participated in spring track.

She found out about the scholarship from her guidance counselor. It was important to apply, she noted, and the money will help pay for tuition, room and board.

This summer, Escalante will continue volunteering at Holy Name as a receptionist. She will then attend Hunter College this fall to study nursing. Her strong interest in the medical field, she said, is because her grandmother has been battling an illness. “She’s been in and out of the hospital,” she said.

Mando just graduated from North High School last month and will attend Mount Saint Mary College in the fall. He plans to major in secondary education (grades 7-12), history and special education. His scholarship money will go toward books, and the “usual stuff,” he said.

“I have always been interested in education and I wrote my college essay about it,” he said. “It’s good to work with kids.”

He was part of North High’s Ecology Club, and participated in an autism walk last year. Mando, 17, has also played varsity tennis and soccer at North. He is also a camp counselor for individuals with developmental issues and special needs. He also found out about the Kiwanis scholarship from his guidance counselor.

Out of nearly 15 candidates who applied for the award, the three graduates were chosen because each embodies the Kiwanis Club’s chief ideal — community service — said Kiran Hayat, the organization’s secretary, who runs the scholarship selection and presentation each year. Judges look for recipients with financial need, volunteer work and strong academic performance, she said. “We want them to give back to the community,” she said, “because Kiwanis gives back to the community.”

Moltz, 17, a Sacred Heart Academy graduate, often volunteered after school at Blessed Sacrament School, which just closed on June 26. She is an alumni, and her mother worked there. While volunteering, she would play with several children and give them snacks, she said.

She enjoys spending time with kids, and will take up secondary and special education at Molloy College in the fall. She has wanted to be a teacher “since forever,” she said. “My mom and aunt worked in schools,” she said, “and I’ve been around it my whole life.”

Dance and acting have also been a passion for Moltz. She is part of the Spartanettes dance team, and even choreographed the Nutcracker during her senior year at Sacred Heart.

Moltz wasn’t the first one to find out she got the scholarship, when a letter arrived at her home on June 18. “My mom found out and called me,” she said. “I went to a party, my mom opened the mail, and texted me at the party.”

Moltz is very grateful for the scholarship, and will use the money for books, she said. “I am excited,” she said, “and honored.”