Valley Stream Kiwanis awards graduating trio

Three graduating seniors will get a little extra financial boost for college, as the Valley Stream Kiwanis Club hosted its annual scholarship dinner last week.

The Kiwanis Club presented Mariel Suriel, Jinna Wang and Jessica Young each with $500 at Villa Marcello on June 16. The girls were chosen from 10 candidates who applied for the scholarship.

Suriel, who is graduating from Central High School, is member of the dance ensemble and has performed in several school plays and musicals. She also is a peer mentor, a member of her church choir, was selected to the National Honor Society and plays the guitar and piano.

In the fall, she will attend York College in Queens and major in education. She wants to begin her career as an elementary school teacher but eventually wants to move up to high school and college. “I come from a big family with a lot of kids,” Suriel said. “I’m the oldest of five. That already is a one-up for me.”

Her two youngest siblings — 5-year-old twins — attend the Washington Avenue Kindergarten Center and Suriel helps them many days with their homework.

Wang will be graduating from North High School and plans to attend New York University to major in international business. Born in China, she is particularly interested in the business relationship between the U.S. and her native land.

She has been a member of her school’s Future Business Leaders of America club as well as the academic quiz bowl team, physics club, North Star newspaper, track team and several honor societies.

Young attended Blessed Sacrament School growing up and recently graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead. There, she played soccer, basketball and softball, and was on the swim team. Young also was a member of the Mathletes team and National, Math and Science honor societies.

Outside of school, Young works as a lifeguard at the Valley Stream Pool. She will attend the University of Connecticut to be a nurse and wants to work in a hospital.

The Kiwanis Club is dedicated to serving the community and that was a factor in deciding who would receive this year’s scholarships. “We do look for volunteer community service because that’s what we do,” said Kiwanis Secretary Kiran Hayat.

She noted that financial need, extra-curricular activities and academics also were part of the criteria. Hayat explained that judges looked for well-round individuals.

Young has volunteered with the Town of Hempstead’s ANCHOR program for the developmentally disabled. She has worked with children in both winter and summer programs and found the experience to be very rewarding. Additionally, she has volunteered at Franklin Hospital, getting a close-hand look at her future career. “That enabled me to see all the ins and outs of nursing,” she said.

Wang organized a cultural night at North High with the Languages Other Than English Honor Society. She said about 200 people showed up — about double what was expected. “It was so successful,” she said. “Our school is very, very diverse. I wanted everyone to see a piece of everyone else’s culture.”

She has also tutored her two 10th-grade cousins in Spanish and math for the past two years.

Suriel has helped her church, St. Joan of Arc in Jackson Heights, Queens, raise money for trips to see the pope. She has also participated in blood drives and a breast cancer awareness walk through school.

She found out about the Kiwanis scholarship from her guidance counselor. Because finances played a role in her college decision, this $500 check will go a long way. “The main reason why I’m going to York is money’s tight,” Suriel said. “Hopefully with this scholarship, it will help me out with some books.”

Wang said that NYU tuition is expensive, so anything extra will help. The Kiwanis scholarship will hopefully help her buy a new laptop for college. For Young, who has followed in her brother’s footsteps by winning this scholarship, expects to put the money toward books and other expenses.