Scholarship
winners awarded

Four local high school graduates were recently awarded college scholarships from the Kiwanis Club of Richmond Hill Woodhaven at the Club’s 26th Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner.
The recipients were given the Mary Quaid and Joseph V. Iaricci Memorial Kiwanis Scholarship Awards – annual college scholarships based on academic excellence and service to the school and community.
Kristen Lasak, a graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School, and Quechau Thai, a graduate of Townsend Harris High School, received the Mary Quaid Scholarship Award, a $2,500 scholarship given to two residents of the Kiwanis Club’s community (Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Kew Gardens and Forest Hills).
Taniya Dewan, a graduate of Richmond Hill High School, and Beth Zink, a graduate of Mepham High School in Bellemore, Long Island, were awarded the Joseph V. Iaricci Memorial Scholarship Award. This is a $600 scholarship given to students who are members of the Key Club at Richmond Hill High School, members of a Kiwanis youth organization sponsored by the Club or are children of local Kiwanians.
Lasak, who graduated in the top one percent of her class, was a member of her school’s Varsity Cross Country Team and a volunteer at Lifespice, where she helps those who are mentally and physically challenged. Lasak plans to attend the University of Notre Dame and pursue a law degree so that she can be an advocate for children with special needs.
Thai was a member of Townsend Harris High School’s Key Club and has served as a political campaign volunteer for New York City Council and State Senate races. She plans to enroll in the Sterns School of Business at New York University and major in actuarial science or international business.
Dewan served as an International Key Club Officer at her high school and has received awards for dance and volleyball. With an interest in forensic science, Dewan plans to attend Pace University and pursue a career with the FBI.
Zink was a member of several high school sports teams, including soccer and lacrosse, and a Girl Scout leader. She plans to enroll in the Art Institute of Boston at Leslie College to pursue a career in magazine photography.
“The awarding of scholarships serves our Club’s service by supporting youth and encouraging community service,” said Rev. N.J. L’Heureux, Jr., the executive director of the Queens Federation of Churches and chair of the Kiwanis Club’s Scholarship Committee.
The Richmond Hill Woodhaven Club is a chapter of Kiwanis International, a community service organization with more than 8,000 local communities around the world. The Richmond Hill Woodhaven Club is the oldest Club in Queens and has awarded $155,575 in scholarships to 116 college-bound students since 1984.
In addition to awarding annual scholarships, the Richmond Hill Woodhaven Club sponsors the Key Club at Richmond Hill High School and has supported many organizations serving the local community, including the Boys and Girls Club of South Queens, Queens Kiwanis Sports Association and the Richmond Hill Senior Center.
To learn more, visit www.KiwanisRHW.org.