Hoover Service Club awards $34,000 in scholarships to Hoover, Spain Park students
The Hoover Service Club today awarded $34,000 worth of scholarships to nine students from Hoover and Spain Park high schools and honored six middle school students for outstanding academic performance and citizenship.
The club gave out the scholarships and awards at a luncheon at the Hoover Country Club, with representatives from the students’ families and schools present.
The Service Club divided $33,000 between four students from Hoover High and three from Spain Park High and awarded two Margaret Alford Memorial Community Service Scholarships valued at $500 each. Of the $33,000, $28,000 came from the Service Club’s fundraising efforts, and $5,000 was a grant from the Jefferson County Commission, club member Mary Howard said.
Here are the scholarship winners and their college plans:
HOOVER HIGH
- Jordan Colin, headed to Jefferson State Community College to study business marketing
- Lametrius Payne, headed to Lawson State Community College to study nursing
- Sabrina Virani, headed to University of Alabama at Birmingham to study pediatric psychology
- Grace Waters, headed to Mississippi State University to study agricultural communications
SPAIN PARK HIGH
- Moriah Mason, headed to Samford University to study broadcast journalism
- Olivia Pride, headed to Samford University to study international relations and law
- Jessica Shaw, headed to Auburn University to study accounting
Community service scholarships
The two winners of the Margaret Alford Memorial Community Service Scholarships were Olivia Bishop of Hoover High and Tanya Gupta of Spain Park High.
Bishop has logged more than 600 hours of community service with groups such as the Hoover Belles, Camp Winnataska, Children’s of Alabama hospital, Riverchase United Methodist Church and the Hoover Helps program that provides food to needy students over the summer, outgoing Service Club President Paula Campbell said.
Gupta, who is ranked No. 1 among the 404 students in her senior class, has spent more than 420 hours in community service by volunteering at math tournaments, the Birmingham Zoo, the Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, elementary school celebrations, school competitions, Key Club and Spain Park Ambassador events, tutoring sessions and National Honor Society projects, Campbell said.
Middle school academic and citizenship awards
The middle school students honored today for outstanding academic performance were Joseph Mudano from Berry Middle, Olurotimi Kukoyi from Bumpus Middle and Allie Ford from Simmons Middle. Those honored for outstanding citizenship were Ramsey El-Fallah from Berry, Jessica Taylor from Bumpus and Abigail Pate from Simmons.
Campbell said the students recognized today are not only intelligent but display a servant’s heart. Tera Simmons, an assistant superintendent for Hoover City Schools, commended the students for all they do to give back to the community, and Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato encouraged each of them, once they get through with their studies, to consider coming back to Hoover to be the next generation of city leaders.
Flora Mae Pike Award
The Service Club also honored club member Donna Bishop and her husband, Greg, with the Flora Mae Pike Award, given annually to someone who has rendered outstanding volunteer service and leadership to the community. The Bishops were selected for the award because of their work leading the Hoover Helps nonprofit organization that provides food for needy students on the weekends and in the summer.