Every year, the Westchester Chapter of NYSW, INC. has presented a $1000 scholarship award to a Westchester woman graduating high school, to help defray the cost of college. This year we had 40 applications, and thanks to the diligence and dedication of the Scholarship Committee, we have selected Katherine Ring from Good Counsel Academy High School in White Plains. It is always a difficult decision, as there as so many outstanding and worthy candidates for this award, but Katherine truly stands out among her peers.
Katie, as she is called, has a GPA of 3.99 in a program filled with honors/AP classes. She was inducted into the National Honor Society in her junior year and is also a member of the Math English, Science and Spanish Honor Societies, winning numerous awards in these areas and more… She’s a well-rounded student, has played Varsity Volleyball and Quidditch, has participated in the Photography Club, Metro Club, Mock Trial, and Student Ambassador Club. She took part in a Biotechnology Workshop for high school students at Dominican College, learning lab techniques, conducting research.
She has participated in numerous Enrichment opportunities such as a leadership seminar, a summer writer’s workshop at Sarah Lawrence, a Great Books summer program at Amherst, a week at Curie Academy at Cornell’s College of Engineering, a summer at Manhattan College School of Engineering.
She’s traveled to Europe a number of times during Easter breaks.
Katie has worked for years babysitting, and for the past year has worked in the church rectory office evenings & weekends. And, with all of that she has found time for Community Service and Volunteer work, such as bringing Burke patients to worship services, counseling at a Day Camp, peer tutoring, Peace Outside Campus Walk.
Katie is planning to study Engineering and hopes to use her education and training to help communities in developing countries, by joining Engineers Without Borders. She understands she’s entering a field with only about 15% women, and she hopes to inspire other women to follow their interests and to use their talents to benefit society.