The Monticola Club recently awarded its 2020 scholarships to three Lassen High School seniors. The local women’s volunteer community service organization is celebrating 108 years of service and has awarded 195 scholarships since 1959.
Each year Monticola awards three $500 scholarships at Lassen High School.
The Spencer Memorial Scholarship was first awarded in 1959. This scholarship is named in honor of the club’s founder, Philenda Spencer and her two daughters, Iva Raker, wife of an early California congressman, and Superior Court Judge Gladys Burroughs. Kaitlyn Nakanishi is the 2020 recipient and she will be attending Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
Nakanishi plans a major in biochemistry as well as fulfilling pre-law requirements. She hopes to pursue her interests in music with a minor in musical studies. Following college graduation, she plans to enter law school and obtain a Juris Doctorate. Her long-term goal is to work as an analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Monticola Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Landon Bennett who plans to major in mathematics and science at UC Santa Cruz or Cal Poly and pursue a career in engineering or biology.
Bennett served as senior class president.
The Monticola Vocational Scholarship was first awarded in 1984. This year’s recipient is Trenton Morgan. Morgan will initially attend Lassen Community College for two years to complete general education classes then transfer to a four-year university to obtain a degree in mechanical engineering. His vision of an ideal career is a being lead engineer for a company designing transportation vehicles, i.e. cars and aircraft.
Nakanishi, Bennett and Morgan are honor students, class officers, athletes, musicians, active members of FBLA and other school organizations and community volunteers.
“All Monticola members congratulate these three students and wish them well in their endeavors,” said Monticola scholarship chair Georgianne Hall who added that there were many outstanding applicants, which made it challenging for the committee, including Patty Davie, Linda Heyland and Carol Van Amburg, to select just a few.
Monticola Club was founded in 1912 and members have focused on a variety of community service projects through the years including the library, beautification projects, health and safety issues and, most recently, the HLVRA community swimming pool.
