Calling All Grads

The year has barely begun, but many families in the Touchet Valley are already planning ahead to a special moment in their kids' lives this June: graduation.

Dozens of seniors from Prescott, Waitsburg and Dayton high schools will don their cap and gown to receive their diploma and move on in life.

The Times plans to be present again for each of your special days that mark the end of one chapter and open the first page of a new one.

But our newspaper's interest in your lives and careers doesn't end with your last sports or academic season. We want to stay in touch with you in your new adventures. The story we did about Bulldog Dain Henderson's budding career as a Cougar football team manager is a good recent example.

We encourage all current and recent graduates to let us know what they're up as they move away for education and careers, and, hopefully, return to the valley.

In addition, we want to help at least one student from each high school with a $500 scholarship, awarded like last year for exemplary community service. Now would be a good time for seniors to start thinking about applying for the Times Community Service Scholarship Fund through your senior advisers.

Readers may recall we actually awarded four scholarships: one to David Brock from Prescott, one to Christy Poirier from Waitsburg and one each to Rowene Huwe and Briana Fulbright from Dayton.

Dayton was the only school represented by more than one scholarship applicant. Although the scholarships are competitive, the Times staff believed the applications from Rowene and Briana were equally compelling and both worthy of support.

Now that the winners have some solid academic time under their belts, the actual monetary awards are going out to them. Christy, who is taking a year after high school to act as a Sentinel for Future Farmers of America, is the only one who asked for the scholarship to be deferred until she goes to college - a request we're all too happy to honor as she travels the state and other parts of the world in her once-in-a-lifetime role for FFA.

Briana, whom we selected for her passionate volunteer work with special needs children (including a stint with the Bluewood Bombers), is in her first year at Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City.

Rowene, who also helped special needs kids as a peer/ mentor through the Walla Walla Department of Health & Human Services, was on track to attend Walla Walla Community College.

David received our support for his numerous volunteer efforts - as a DARE role model, sports booster activist, food drive participant and many more. He is also attending Walla Walla Community College.

Christy was a DARE role model, a bike safety volunteer, a volunteer mentor to younger FFA members and served her community in many other ways. She plans to attend Washington State University after her year as a state sentinel.

As part of our scholarship application, seniors are asked to write an essay about their background and experience as community volunteers. We then interview the winners and tell their stories in the Times.

The goal is to support deserving students individually by helping them cover the mounting costs of higher education, but also to identify role models in our high schools' student bodies whom younger students can emulate.

Just as we believe sports, music and intellectual pursuits help young people acquire the discipline to succeed in life and careers, we believe their early community service activities help them acquire the mindset to be a lifelong backbone of support for whatever community they choose.

We know there are many current seniors with a passion to make a difference in the lives of others. With the help of school district officials, we encourage you to apply for our community service scholarship.

Tell us your story and let us tell it to others so they'll be inspired by your example and help make our towns good places to live.