The students were presented with scholarships and community service awards.
The Kiwanis Club of Phil-Mont last week honored three local college students.
Rebecca Johnson and Kiara DeVore received the Walter Gimbel Sr. Scholarship Award, while John Meehan was presented with the Community Service Award.
The scholarship award is named in memory of Walt Gimbel, a past president of the Kiwanis.
“We’re investing in our future,” said Bill Markert, president of the Kiwanis.
Johnson, Meehan and their mothers attended a Kiwanis dinner at the Austrian Village in Rockledge. DeVore was in England with her grandmother. Kiwanis members and guests said a prayer, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sung My Country, ’Tis of Thee.
“Becca, John and Kiara would put a smile on Walt Gimbel’s face,” said Kathy McDonough, a teacher and Kiwanis member.
DeVore attended St. William Elementary School until it closed, then graduated from Presentation BVM and Bishop McDevitt High School. She attends the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg on a full scholarship. She began taking part in Kiwanis service projects in fifth grade.
In high school, she finished with a 4.0 GPA, was president of the National Honor Society and part of the Archdiocesan Scholar program, taking classes at Chestnut Hill College. She also won the Union League Good Citizenship Award, was captain and All-Catholic in soccer. was president of the Royalist newspaper, a Student Ambassador and a member of the Reading Olympics team, Entrepreneur Club and World Affairs Club.
Johnson graduated from St. Matthew and Bishop McDevitt. She is a theater major at Temple, served as assistant stage manager for two shows, is a volunteer with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, president of the Creative Writers Commons and will study in London next spring. In high school, she was in the Community Service Corps and worked closely with the special-needs students at Our Lady of Confidence.
Meehan has helped out at Kiwanis endeavors since he was in fifth grade and won a Kiwanis Community Service Award in 2012. He’s also helped out in other community projects. He attended St. William through seventh grade, and when it closed, he spent a year at Presentation BVM. He was an altar boy and helps his dad with St. William Church-related activities. He graduated from Roman Catholic and majors in mechanical engineering at Villanova.
At Roman, he was captain of the crew team, a tutor, a member of the National Honor Society, World Affairs Club, Yearbook Committee and Students Against Destructive Decisions, had three years perfect attendance, graduated in the top five of his class and received the NBC10 Widener University High School Leadership Award.
At Villanova, he is a member of the Aerospace Club, is on the dean’s list and is on the crew team. ••
