KHS student wins national scholarship

KELLOGG — Kellogg High School recently announced that senior Sylvia West was selected as a Horatio Alger National Scholarship award recipient.

The National Scholarship is awarded to eligible students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

National Scholars receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., during the spring of their senior year to participate in the National Scholars Conference. Recipients must attend the conference to receive the award.

For West, winning the award was the culmination of an early lifetime of overcoming adversity while making the most of each situation.

It was also something she wasn’t necessarily expecting.

“It was a lot of writing,” West joked (kind of). “This really was a big stress reliever for me. When I got the call saying I had won the scholarship, I thought he was just saying that I was like in the running for it. It really didn’t sink in right away.”

Kellogg High School quickly got excited for her and released a statement on their Facebook page announcing West’s award.

“Congratulations to Kellogg High School senior Sylvia West for being selected as a Horatio Alger National Scholar. This recognition is a tribute to Sylvia’s determination and hard work. She is one of only 106 high school seniors nationally recognized as a Horatio Alger National Scholar, and the only one from Idaho. As a National Scholar, Sylvia will receive a $25,000 college scholarship to be used in the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2018 Horatio Alger National Scholars Conference in Washington, D.C., and access to a full range of Association services. Sylvia plans to attend Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston to pursue a degree in Nursing.”

To be eligible to apply for the Horatio Alger National Scholarship, West had to meet the following criteria:

- Be enrolled full time as a high school senior in the United States; be progressing normally toward graduation in spring/summer of 2018 with plans to enter a college in the United States no later than the fall following graduation.

- Exhibit a strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor’s degree at an accredited non-profit public or private institution in the United States (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution).

- Demonstrate critical financial need ($55,000 or lower adjusted gross family income is required).

- Be involved in co-curricular and community service activities.

- Display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity.

- Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0; and

- Be a United States citizen.

With the inclusion of the $25,000, West believes that she has all of her secondary education paid for, which should allow her to navigate her way to her degree without the stress of financial restraint.

“I had overcome a lot growing up,” West said. “There were a lot of things that weren’t normal, but I think they helped me grow as a person.”

Carol Roberts, an adviser at KHS, has watched West as she has pursued her college dreams and she couldn’t be happier for her.

“Since her junior year, Sylvia has been in my office asking questions, and preparing herself for her college education,” Roberts said. “She visits with me, gets help, and is on top of all the things she needs to due to pursue her college education. She is very deserving of this honor, and I am very proud of her.”