Twenty McLennan County high school seniors are competing for the 29th annual Youth Citizenship Awards sponsored by the Rotary Club of Waco and the Waco Tribune-Herald. Nominees are presented here and on the back page of this section.

Five students will be announced as award winners at a Rotary luncheon Monday. One will be selected as the Outstanding Young Citizen, while four others will be named finalists. All five will receive scholarship money with their awards. Judges use the Rotary Club’s motto of “Service Above Self” in choosing the award recipients.

The students submitted a detailed application outlining their school and volunteer activities, and a letter of recommendation from someone familiar with their volunteer efforts. A panel chose the recipients.

Nominees continued on Page 6B

Kelsey M. Scott

West High

Parents: Annette and David Scott

Volunteer highlights: Tutoring small children in reading and math; coaching young girls in softball and basketball; Toys for Tots; Food for Families; Autism Walk participant; serve food at St. Mary’s Church benefit dinners.

Future plans: Attend McLennan Community College and then transfer to Texas A&M University to obtain a degree in education (early childhood through eighth grade) and specialize in teaching math.

Alicia Marie Sustaita

Axtell High

Parent: Alicia Pena

Volunteer highlights: One of five seniors to develop a PAL (Peer Assistance and Leadership) mentoring program at school; student council projects such as Thanksgiving food drive and fundraisers to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Pennies for Patients; mentoring troubled elementary students.

Future plans: Go into business management; accepted to the University of North Texas and Tarleton State University.

Demetria Perry

Bruceville-Eddy High

Parents: Generia and Don Perry

Volunteer highlights: Tutoring underprivileged children at the Waco-McLennan County Library; Meals on Wheels; visits to nursing homes; Angel Tree volunteer; Salvation Army projects such as ringing the kettle bell at Christmas and Toys for Tots; community haunted house; painting Avalon homes.

Future plans: Attend Baylor University and later become a research biochemist to advance medical science.

Ethan Silva

China Spring High

Parents: Sherry and Mark Silva

Volunteer highlights: Taught class in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, fire aid and automated external defibrillator at American Red Cross (a couple in his class were hurricane relief volunteers who saved a boy using skills Ethan taught); Relay for Life; lifeguard and swim instructor; Peer Assistance and Leadership mentor.

Future plans: Begin studies at McLennan Community College and transfer to pursue studies further to become an English teacher.

Stephanie Garner

Connally High

Parents: Tammy and John Garner

Volunteer highlights: Peer Assistance and Leadership mentor at school; Equestrian Special Olympics volunteer; highway and Brazos River cleanups; church community fair and food pantry; school projects such as canned food drives, coat drive, stuffed toy drive and Christmas shoe box donations.

Future plans: Obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing and registered nurse certifi-cation for a career in that field.

Katrina Louise Dixon

Crawford High

Parents: Teresa Marie Dixon and Michael Ward Dixon

Volunteer highlights: Work with students at Rapoport Academy in Waco; Peer Assistance and Leadership mentor; blood drives in school library; Crawford Youth Basketball Association; Wild West Bike Ride; Tonkawa Park cleanup; vacation Bible school; caroling at homes of elderly and disabled in Crawford.

Future plans: Attend Baylor University to pursue a degree in elementary education and then teach.

Jessica Hall

La Vega High

Parent: Georgia Reachard

Volunteer highlights: Takes part in mission trips through church; teach and mentor junior high girls at church; National Honor Society projects such as blood drives, nursing home visits and Food for Families drives; community outreach through church with festivals, Adopt-A-Granny programs and vacation Bible school.

Future plans: Attend Baylor University and major in theater performance, then start a theater ministry outreach group for children.

Audrey Engram

Lorena High

Parents: Rebecca and Barry Engram

Volunteer highlights: Organ-ized paper-recycling effort at school as a Peer Assistance and Leadership mentor; shoe-box Christmas project; Lake Shore Baptist Church youth group projects like visits to the elderly; sewed bags for Child Protective Services; Relay for Life; Special Olympics.

Future plans: Attend Texas A&M University and major in nutritional sciences; become a dietitian to help with diseases and food allergies.

Kejuana Costley

Mart High

Parent: Glinda Baker

Volunteer highlights: Coordi-nated trash pickup efforts in community; coaches young girls in Little Dribblers program; assists elementary physical education classes; serves as usher and helps with office work at church.

Future plans: Attend Texas State University in San Marcos to become a forsenic scientist and eventually work in a large crime laboratory in Dallas or Houston.

Elmer A. Solis

McGregor High

Parents: Adelina and Efrain Solis

Volunteer highlights: Raise funds for Toys for Tots drive; Peer Assistance and Leadership projects; assist teacher with first-grade class during mornings; tutor high school students in math; football reading program with elementary students; run children’s games during town’s Founders Day celebration.

Future plans: Attend Tarleton State University and then Texas A&M University to earn degree in mechanical engineering.

Shay Wiggins

Moody High

Parents: Tammy and Tim Wiggins

Volunteer highlights: World Changers missionary trip to Oklahoma; student council project to make gifts for nursing home and plan senior class functions; Adopt-A-Highway trash cleanup; Adopt a Troop program to send care packages and gift cards to overseas troops; vacation Bible school.

Future plans: Attend McLen-nan Community College or Temple College; complete degree in journalism or advertising at a university.

Phylicxia J. Moore

A.J. Moore Academy

Guardian: Evelyn Moore

Volunteer highlights: Carver Park Community Garden, a World Hunger Relief Inc. project to help area residents grow their own food; serve meals to members, students and visitors through Carver Park Baptist Church culinary department; Interact Club projects: Toys for Tots, food drives and Food for Families.

Future plans: Earn bachelor’s degree from Prairie View A&M University and master’s degree from Texas A&M in agriculture studies to become agriculture teacher or researcher.

Amber Crenshaw

Parkview Christian Academy

Parents: Renee and Joey Crenshaw

Volunteer highlights: Community Convergence, which provides community service and raises funds through school; helps at church with nursery, special music, “Children’s Church,” janitorial duties and as an office aide.

Future plans: Attend college to become a registered nurse, then become a nurse practitioner at either Pensacola Christian College or McLennan Community College.

Allyson Littrell

Reicher Catholic High

Parents: Tracie and Andy Littrell

Volunteer highlights: Candy striper at Providence Health Center; Habitat for Humanity; Meske’s Sport and Physical Rehab Center; teaches Sunday school to small children; vacation Bible school; Brazos Belles; Waco Symphony Belles; Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure; Central Texas Sickle Cell Anemia Telethon.

Future plans: Attend Texas A&M University to study special education or speech pathology for young children.

Brianna Shoukletovich

Robinson High

Parents: Sherlynn and Mark Shoukletovich

Volunteer highlights: Service projects through Church of the Open Door; Peer Assistance and Leadership mentor at school; student athletic trainer; Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Students.

Future plans: Attend the University of Texas at San Antonio and major in either kinesiology, oncology or psychology in hopes of a career working in a children’s hospital like St. Jude or a Shriners facility.

Paige Beasley

Texas Christian Academy

Parents: Linda and David Beasley

Volunteer highlights: Service projects through student council, where she is president; City of Waco Youth Council; delegate to National League of Cities conference in Orlando, Fla., in November; United Meth-odist Student Leadership Team, of which she is president.

Future plans: Attend Stephen F. Austin State University and major in journalism and public relations toward a career in one of those fields.

Rolando Andrade

University High

Parents: Sonia and Juvenal Andrade

Volunteer highlights: Trojan Tyke Boot/Fun Camp and service projects through JROTC, where he is a battalion commander; Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Thanksgiving service project at Salvation Army; student council; honor guard.

Future plans: Attend McLennan Community College for basics and then transfer to a university to earn a mechanical engineering degree or become an electrician.

Jed Cole

Vanguard College Preparatory

Parents: Robin Cole and Cathy Cole

Volunteer highlights: Eagle Scout project for landscaping at Vanguard campus and other Troop 453 service efforts such as food drives and flag displays; volunteer at Cameron Park Zoo functions; Central Texas Special Olympics; Teen Leadership Waco.

Future plans: Study business and double-major in economics and finance at either Notre Dame or the University of Texas Business School.

Marsha Palasota

Waco High

Parents: Theresa and William Palasota

Volunteer highlights: Assisted with children’s summer camp program at Waco Art Center; Historic Waco Foundation; Symphony Belles; National Honor Society projects such as volunteering at Cameron Park Zoo, Special Olympics, Paws in the Park and a school supplies drive for those affected by Hurricane Ike.

Future plans: Attend Texas A&M University and earn degree in aerospace engineering; perhaps become an aircraft designer.

Cara Huggins

Midway High

Parents: Tammy and Jerry Huggins

Volunteer highlights: Mission trips with Crestview Church of Christ youth group to Honduras, Louisiana and Chicago; work with Caritas food pantry and help serve Friday morning breakfasts; Wesley Woods Alzheimer’s Care Center; United Way; school carnivals and open houses.

Future plans: Earn bachelor’s in biology at Lubbock Christian University; apply to physical therapy school; do medical mission work.