One young lady is a junior at one of our area high schools with an impressive A+ grade point average that includes weighted grade performance from her Advanced Placement(AP)and Honors classes. As the youngest of four children with a single, working mother, she comes from a low-income household that meets guidelines for financial assistance. She volunteers every week to do community service with several local organizations and is a member of Student Council, National Honor Society, Girl Scouts and the Robotics Club. In addition to her academic success and volunteer work in her community, she finds time to play soccer for her school. Her dream is to become a chemical engineer and she currently participates in the Society of Black Engineers as a student representative.

Our other outstanding candidate is part of the St. Louis voluntary desegregation program and is a junior at a local county high school. She is a dedicated student with an excellent A- grade point average. She has a single, working mother and a younger sister. She comes from a low-income household that meets guidelines for financial assistance. This student volunteers every week to do community service through her church. At school, she participates in the A+ program and tutors other students. She is also involved in a mentoring program for younger students in her school. Her dream is to become a dental hygienist - - and maybe someday a dentist.