United Way of Addison County (UWAC) fosters community service in all community members, but especially in our youth in Addison County. In that spirit, UWAC honors local high school seniors through the “Live United” Volunteer Scholarship Award. On behalf of a generous donor, three students are chosen annually for the award, recognizing high school seniors who volunteer in their community and who are interested in advancing their education. This award comes with a $1,000 cash award for each student, to be used for post-graduation education.
UWAC’s volunteer and donor engagement coordinator, Amy Hoekstra, is impressed with the students who make time to give back to Addison County. “Being a teenager can be tough enough in “normal” times, never mind spending the majority of your high school years in a pandemic. We are inspired by the students who - at a young age - recognize the importance of contributing to their community.”
The recipients of the 2022 “Live United” Volunteer Scholarship Awards include:
Anna Doucet of Bristol began regularly volunteering with Open Door Clinic (ODC) in early 2021 with the outreach program, which visits Addison County farms to provide vaccines and health screenings to agricultural workers. A supervisor at ODC says that Anna sees the big picture of community, culture, and kindness which is impressive. Anna is a 2022 Mt. Abraham Union High School graduate and will attend Middlebury College to major in International Affairs in the fall.
Viviana Hammond of Middlebury has been a member of the Middlebury Union High School chapter of Best Buddies throughout her high school career. Viviana’s volunteer efforts have led to a more inclusive school, positively impacting all our members and the surrounding community as a whole. Viviana’s staff advisor says that Viviana demonstrates “Live United” even when it may not be a popular stance with her peers. Viviana will major in Marine Biology at Duke University this fall.
Leaf Reiderer of Granville has volunteered with WomenSafe since his sophomore year at Middlebury Union High School, helping to make concrete changes in how our schools and communities worked around Rape Prevention Education (RPE) and equality. A WomenSafe educator said that Leaf’s work with WomenSafe has opened so many doors for teens in Addison County to get the education and support they need to live healthier, safer lives. This fall, Leaf will attend St. Michael’s College to major in Biology and Environmental Science.
UWAC congratulates all recipients and thanks them for their dedication to volunteering in Addison County!
