In a virtual scholarship presentation, the Crescenta Valley Lions Club awarded scholarships to four outstanding, community service-minded seniors from Crescenta Valley High School. A fifth award was presented jointly with Prom Plus to another deserving CVHS senior.

2020 marks the 25th year the local Lions Club has been awarding scholarships to deserving Crescenta Valley area high school seniors and this year’s awards bring the club’s total giving to nearly $125,000.

With service being the focal criteria for selection, applicants were asked to detail how the community benefits from their work as a volunteer, to describe an impactful community service or volunteer event, and to list their many volunteer, leadership and  community service activities, along with earned awards and recognition.  Sofia Camperos, Brendan Harvey, Allison Rowe and Riley Welsh were each presented with $750 scholarships. Prom Plus hand-picked Matthew Stickels to receive its Brett Tyler Memorial Scholarship.

June Mack, CV Lions scholarship chair, provided opening remarks during the presentation. She said how impressed she and the scholarship committee members were with the caliber of applicants and how honored she was to bestow the scholarships to these most deserving students.

Camperos, Rowe and Welsh have all been active in the high school’s LEO Club, a youth organization of Lions Club started at CVHS in 2016. Both Camperos and Welsh have held leadership positions as publicists and co-presidents. Camperos and Welsh have also both been active with Youth and Government. Rowe has been active with the Special Olympics and City of Hope and volunteering within her soccer community. Harvey, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout, also has an impressive list of volunteer activities including Special Olympics, Adopt A Child Abuse Caseworker Program, Brothers’ Helper and installing a Japanese Tea Garden at Dunsmore Elementary School.

Stickels was presented with a $1,000 Prom Plus/Brett Tyler Memorial Scholarship, funded in part by the CV Lions. The CV Lions has been providing funds for this annual scholarship for more than 10 years. Prom Plus board members Mary O’Keefe and Robin Goldsworthy were on hand to make the presentation.

In presenting the award to Stickels, O’Keefe said, “Matt, an avid musician, has been an exemplary volunteer with Prom Plus since day one. His positivity and can-do attitude made him stand out and was an easy selection as this year’s selected recipient.”

Connie Janson, District Governor MD4-L1 Lions and longtime member of the CV Lions, added, “I am proud to be a member of a local club that remains so committed to helping the youth in their area for the past 25 years.”

Jeero Habeshian, club president and LEO club advisor shared, “Our LEOs’ dedication to community and their leadership skills gives me hope for a bright future, and I’m very proud of our scholarship recipients.” 

In the fall, Camperos will attend University of Oregon; Harvey will attend BYU, Provo; Rowe will attend UC Davis; Stickels will attend USC and Welsh will attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

The Crescenta Valley Lions Clubs has been serving the Crescenta Valley community since 1947 with such activities as free vision screening clinics, Kases for Kids backpack program for foster children, scholarship program and student speakers contest for the students at our three local high schools. Over the years, the Lions Club has also donated to many worthy local organizations and causes. In 2018, the Lions formally adopted The Fire House Youth Center to support with annual fundraisers. In the coming months and years, the Lions Club plans to increase its service to the community as it grows its membership. In 2016, the Lions Club sponsored the first student LEOs Club at CV High School, which continues to serve the community.