The Valley Stream Lions Club presented eight graduating seniors with scholarships at its meeting on June 15, continuing a tradition that has supported local students for nearly 60 years.
“There’s very little that’s more near and dear to my heart than schooling and education and teaching and learning,” Mayor Ed Fare, a Lions Club member, said. “Whether you’re an infant or a senior citizen, it’s never too late to learn something new, but these eight people are all pursuing a higher education, and the Lions Club is recognizing them with a nice citation. But more important than that, they’re recognizing them with a check to help them pay for their higher education, which everybody knows is not cheap these days.”
The club’s scholarship program is intended to celebrate more than academic success. In the selection process, the honorees were chosen based on a combination of scholastic achievement, leadership, perseverance and demonstrated service to their schools and communities.
“You want doers,” Lions President Jim Zabatta said. “Some people are really good with books and some people are good with people. We want people who are involved.”
This year, the organization awarded three full scholarships and five half scholarships to seniors from Valley Stream’s North, Central and South high schools, to help defray the cost of their college tuition as they begin the next stage of their education.
Though the eight winners were in attendance, the club, citing privacy concerns, did not identify them by their full names or disclose the amounts of the scholarships.
Janet Mahabir, the Lions Club’s first vice president and a co-chair of its scholarship committee, said the review process emphasized finding well-rounded students rather than simply those at the top of their class academically. Applicants were evaluated for leadership roles, community involvement, volunteerism and their commitment to helping others in addition to classroom performance.
“We want to make sure that we could celebrate our young students and young people so that they, too, could emulate and they could give back,” Mahabir said. “Because we see it as a pay-it forward kind of thing, where young people can develop the skill of knowing what community is and what our efforts are today, and we can help them create opportunities for tomorrow while they are pursuing their education.”
The career interests of the winners include include nursing and architecture, as well as trade school.
Applications were submitted to the high schools’ guidance departments. Laura Mesa, a scholarship committee co-chair and a guidance counselor at Memorial Junior High School, acted as the liaison between the Lions Club and the schools.
The committee looked for candidates who balanced strong academic records with volunteer work, extracurricular involvement and evidence of community spirit.
“These students have each worked hard in their own way and have much to be proud of,” Mesa said. “Their accomplishments reflect dedication, perseverance and a commitment to making a positive difference.”
Founded in 1948, the Lions Club has served the community for 78 years through charitable initiatives and volunteer projects. In addition to its scholarship program, it takes part in food drives benefiting local pantries, collects eyeglasses for distribution to people in need and raises funds through community events.
One of the club’s largest fundraising efforts is its annual flea market, with proceeds helping support scholarships and other service initiatives. Those community-based fundraising efforts enable the organization to continue recognizing local students while investing in future generations.
“While we are continuing our tradition of service, because the Lions Club motto is ‘we serve,’ I think it encompasses what a young person should strive to show: compassion and community spirit,” Mahabir said. “To me, it will make them a well-rounded person to appreciate what needs are out there when it comes to not just local but global.”
