Photo: Fifteen Prescott-area students were awarded Grant McKee and Robert Caldwell Service & Leadership Scholarships (missing from photo are students Claire Donovan and Ciara Coleman). Image by Brianna Kinsley.
Catholic Charities’ North Star Youth Partnership has awarded 15 Prescott-area students with Grant McKee and Robert Caldwell Service & Leadership Scholarships. Six students from Tri-City College Prep, six students from Prescott High School, and three from Bagdad High School have been awarded a total of $37,900 in scholarships for higher education.
The program is named in recognition of Grant McKee and his cousin, Robert Caldwell, two of the Prescott Hotshot firefighters who perished in the 2013 Yarnell Fire. This year marks the 11th anniversary of the program. Since 2014, more than $199,000 in scholarships have been awarded to 101 recipients, including those from this year.
The scholarships are awarded to students who are graduating from high school or community college and exemplify Robert and Grant’s giving spirit. All recipients are participants or group facilitators in the national Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) program, which North Star implemented in Yavapai County in 2008. PAL, a proven national model and evidence-based program, creates a peer-to-peer environment designed to encourage teens by building resiliency and assets through youth leadership, mentoring and community prevention activities. Additionally, all scholarship recipients have an impressive array of high school activities, projects, and accomplishments, as well as their years of PAL program participation.
Cary N. Taylor, representing the Paul and Patricia Taylor Family Foundation, has supported the scholarship fund since 2015, in addition to American Legion Post 6 – The Sons of the American Legion in Prescott.
“It’s a privilege to continue support of the scholarship program. It is such a meaningful way to give back to the community and honor the legacy of Grant McKee and Robert Caldwell,” said Cary Taylor.
This year’s Grant McKee and Robert Caldwell Service & Leadership Scholarships are:
Grace Bower, Tri-City College Prep
Cephanie Burgman, Tri-City College Prep
Abby Burns, Prescott High School
Ciara Coleman, Prescott High School
Claire Donovan, Prescott High School
Reese Farrelly, Prescott High School
Aubrey Fisher, Bagdad High School
Susie James, Prescott High School
Olivia Kutsick, Tri-City College Prep
Sedona Meade, Tri-City College Prep
Mariah Ortega, Bagdad High School
Sienna Perez, Bagdad High School
Rachael Reilly, Tri-City College Prep
Addison Spriggs, Tri-City College Prep
Violet Williams, Prescott High School
“Thanks to an increase in donations this year, we were able to distribute additional scholarship dollars to more students. We’re delighted to be able to support more students on their educational journey while they follow their own North Star,” said Diane DeLong, senior program manager, Catholic Charities’ North Star Youth Partnership.
Catholic Charities’ North Star Youth Partnership provides support to parents and schools by engaging teens in hands-on learning experiences that promote increased confidence. Programs include community service projects, opportunities to mentor and lead other youth, and exposure to new sports and outdoor recreation, to name a few. Over the past 28 years, North Star has established a strong network of volunteers and partnerships with schools, youth-serving organizations, and businesses in central and northern Arizona to provide youth with this high-quality programming. Integral to the success of the program, these individuals and partnerships enrich and improve the lives of youth in a myriad of ways, and their dedication makes communities stronger.
Photo: Jeffrey King, Community Youth Advocate award winner
In addition to the scholarship program, for the past 18 years, North Star has presented its annual Community Youth Advocate of the Year Award to recognize the outstanding contributions made by volunteers who positively impact youth. This year’s Community Youth Advocate award has been presented to Jeffrey King, Clinical Coordinator for Child & Family Support Services. Throughout his 30-year career, King has worked with at risk teens, counseled teens and families, provided foster care case management, investigated child abuse and neglect, and worked with teens experiencing mental health issues. He relocated to Prescott from Washington when he began working at Child & Family Support Services.
According to DeLong, “Jeffrey is such a deserving recipient of the Community Youth Advocate of the Year Award. He has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to working with youth and families, transforming their lives by envisioning a future beyond what is visible, and striving for what is possible.”
For more information about Catholic Charities’ North Star Youth Partnership, visit www.CatholicCharitiesAZ.
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About Catholic Charities Community Services: Founded in 1933, Catholic Charities provides care for the vulnerable of all faiths in central and northern Arizona through programs in foster care, early education, affordable housing, veteran services, refugee resettlement, and homeless outreach. Learn more by visiting www.
