Youth Scholarship
Announcing our Youth Scholarship Award for 2021!
Congratulations, Kailey Krzoska!
(By NBC26) Volunteering at any age is something to be admired, but especially when you’re still in high school and going above and beyond. In this part of our Celebrating Volunteers series with the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, meet a young woman driven to helping other students, as well as the community.
“I live my life everyday to try and change people’s worlds,” said Kailey Krzoska, a senior at Kimberly High.
Kailey is someone who captures your attention not only because of her personality, but her ambition to make a difference in other people’s lives.
“She was always a source of positivity and always a source of just support around her,” said Emma Kane, Kailey’s former volleyball coach. “She welcomes people in whether she’s best friends with them or just met them.”
Starting right away in high school, Kailey put together an event to help get kids excited about sports. It was during that event she knew she wanted to be a teacher (she explains in the video above). Though, her favorite accomplishment has been a program she started called Beyond the Books. It’s to help 5th and 6th grade students find a love for reading.
Kailey recently won the Youth Scholarship award with the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, an award sponsored by Community First Credit Union. She was nominated by her coach Emma who added, we could all learn a lot from her.
“The importance of giving back to your community and the importance of building other people up,” Emma said. “I think that among all the things that stand out about her, that’s always been the most impressive. She really takes stock and values bring other people up.”
Building people up and letting faith lead the way, “I want to be a light in a world that can be dark at times,” Kailey said. She shares a great metaphor that she tries to live her life by, you can listen to that in the video above.
Thank you to our Celebrating Volunteers partners, NBC 26 and The Post-Crescent, who are featuring our winners this week. View the Post-Crescent’s story here.
We were there to capture the moment when Kailey received balloons the surprise news that she is this year’s winner of the Youth Scholarship Award:
Award sponsor since 1998:
Who qualifies?
This award recognizes a youth who has a proven passion for volunteering, and who has demonstrated exceptional leadership as a volunteer and/or in promoting volunteerism in the Fox Cities. A $1,500 scholarship is presented to the recipient’s two- or four-year college of choice and $1,000 is given to the recipient’s Fox Valley charity.
We’re looking for students who meet the above criteria and who also demonstrate above average performance in school and/or extra-curricular activities. Candidate must reside or do the majority of his or her volunteer work in Outagamie, Calumet, Waupaca or northern Winnebago counties.
Criteria
- Must be a graduating high school senior.
- Award can be earned for a single act of volunteerism or a number of volunteer efforts.
- Student should also show exceptional leadership as a volunteer and/or in promoting volunteerism.
Past Recipients
2020: Justice Moore
2019: Sydney Olmsted
2018: Rachel Miserlian
2017: Kaylie Bittner
2016: Leah Witthuhn
2015: Candice Zehner
2014: Jack Hogerty
2013: Riley Chelsky
2012: Michael J. Quesnell
2011: Maria Peeples
2010: Sarah Backer
2009: Emily Mulloy
2008: Sarah Wydeven
2007: Erik Kingsley
2006: Anni Krysik
2005: Nicole Wydeven
2004: Bethany Vande Hey
2003: Sarah Tolly
2002: Katie Jadin
2001: Sarah Heyerdahl
2000: Molly Quigley
1999: Melissa Verkuilen
1998: Teresa Talens