Ann Arbor high schooler who helped kids with cancer among 29 Kiwanis scholarship recipients
2011 Kiwanis Club Scholarship recipients. Seated L-R: Nathaniel Coryell, DanYelle Hugan, October Lewis Armstead, Emily Burns, Matthew Hing, Megan Masten, Gerardo Longoria, Akio Kakishima. Standing L-R: Tenzin Tsundu, Chi Tran, Jessee Burrison, Ellen Dowling, Garret Wood, Samamtha Waldrop, Chinyere Onimo, Alfredo Munoz, Stephanie Lu, Eric Miller, Awah Ditah, Yoojin Chang, Lucy Holland, Christian Arreola, Jason Green, Dahlia Bigelow, Danisha Scott and Serena Johnson.
Photo courtesy of Kiwanis
In July 2008, Ellen Dowling was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease.
“I swam all through treatment,” she said. “Through that I realized that swimming and being active during treatment is so important.”
Now a senior at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Dowling and her mother, through Club Wolverine, created an individualized swim program for children and teenagers who are undergoing or recovering from chemotherapy.
This program is what prompted the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor and the Ray and Eleanor Cross Foundation to give Dowling a $1,000 college scholarship at an awards ceremony Monday. Dowling plans to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall.
Twenty-nine students were selected to receive scholarships. The Kiwanis funded 7 scholarships, and 22 were jointly funded by Kiwanis and the Cross Foundation.
Kiwanian Dan Burroughs, co-chair of the Children and Youth Services Committee and the PR Committee, said the Cross Foundation matched any money donated by Kiwanis members for scholarships in their names.
“In order to find the kids, we work with the high school counselors,” Burroughs said. “We ask them based on the personal character of kids, their academic background, their leadership capabilities and their community service commitments during their years in high school.”
Kathy Holland is the mother of Lucy Holland, a recipient of one of this year’s scholarships.
Lucy is a senior at Pioneer High School, and is a peer educator with Planned Parenthood. Her mom says that it helps when kids take a difficult topic and talk about it correctly with each other.
“Other students can come to them as a peer and ask them questions about all different STDs, contraception, adoption options, all of those different kinds of things, so they don’t have to feel intimidated by going to an adult,” Kathy Holland said. “They can get good information from a kid their age.”
Lucy plans to study political science and education at the University of Michigan in the fall.
Planned Parenthood also pairs up with the Kiwanis to give out a scholarship to one of their staff every year, and Holland said she just happened to be the lucky recipient this year.
Burroughs said Kiwanis has been giving out scholarships for 42 years, but never to as many as 29 students at once.
“It is just a good spirited community activity, we just like doing it,” he said. “Parents come with the kids and everyone feels great.”
Michelle Meunier is an intern for AnnArbor.com. Have a community news tip? Email community@annarbor.com.
Comments
CincoDeMayo
Thu, May 26, 2011 : 10:59 p.m.
Congratulations and thanks to all of these students who have contributed positively to their communities. Know that people appreciate your efforts. Wishing you well in your future endeavors.
Michelle Meunier
Wed, May 25, 2011 : 12:40 a.m.
Susan, here is a list of all of the students who received scholarships. Hunter/Clagues Scholarships: 1. Garrett Wood of Community High School 2. Ellen Dowling of Huron High School 3. Megan Masten of Pioneer High School Carpenter Scholarships: 4. DanYelle Hugan of Community High School 5. Chi Tran of Huron High School 6. Yoojin Chang of Pioneer High School Naylor Scholarships: 7. Jason Greene of Pioneer High School The Ray & Eleanor Cross Foundation Scholarships: 8. Kyle Mills of Huron High School 9. Akio Kakishima of Huron High School 10. Tenzin Tsundu of Community High School 11. October Lewis Armstead of Stone High School Scholarships resulting in collaboration between members of the Kiwanis and Cross Foundation: 12. Matthew Hing of Pioneer High School 13. Serina Johnson of Roberto Clemente High School 14. Stephanie Lu of Huron High School 15. Lucy Holland of Pioneer High School 16. Chinyere Onimo of Huron High School 17. Daniesha Scott of Pioneer High School 18. Emily Burns of Pioneer High School 19. Jesse Burrison of Huron High School 20. Christian Arreola of Roberto Clemente High School 21. Sha'Rae Hendricks of Pioneer High School 22. Dahlia Bigelow of Community High School 23. Alfredo Munoz of Pioneer High School 24. Gerardo Longoria of Huron High School 25. Samantha Waldrop of Pioneer High School 26. Nathaniel Coryell of Community High School 27. Eric Miller of Pioneer High School 28. Awah Ditah of Huron High School 29. Jasper Hanifi of Pioneer High School
Susan Montgomery
Wed, May 25, 2011 : 10:52 a.m.
Thanks! Susan
Susan Montgomery
Tue, May 24, 2011 : 9:10 p.m.
Wonderful news, very deserving students! I've been hearing about Ellen's exploits from her father and brother, how wonderful that her efforts are being recognized in this way. Any chance for a list of the other 27 recipients? Or at least a chance to blow up the photo so we can see who else we might know?
lynel
Wed, May 25, 2011 : 12:35 a.m.
yes, how about a list.