From the Comcast Foundation

Anna L. Cechony, a senior at Ballard High School, is among the 90 recipients of the Comcast Foundation’s annual Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program awards in Washington State, the Comcast Foundation has announced.

Among Cechony’s past and present achievements: a vice president in student government and president of the Student Lives Always Matter Club and volunteer for Link Crew and Inspiring Girls Now Into Technology Evolution Club. She received a Varsity Letter for swim and dive and was Boys Swim Team manager. She has received several academic and community service honors including Trevor Simpson "Lifesaver" Award for Youth Suicide Prevention. At the time the school nominated her for the scholarship, Cechony was planning to study chemistry at Scripps College in Claremont, Calif.

Ballard High School Principal Kevin Wynkoop wrote to the Foundation, “Anna Cechony has been an absolute rock star working for me as a Link Crew Leader the last two school years. Link Crew is a student mentoring program, where I train upperclassmen to work with the 9th graders as they acclimate to high school. I did not know her well last year until I saw her going out of her way to "adopt" all of the special needs 9th graders into her group. Understand that these students are not able to play some of the games and follow the conversations. Even though my Leaders are great people, most of them are uncomfortable working with special needs students."

Wynkoop added, "Anny went the opposite direction. She wanted to work with ALL of the special needs students. I watched her quickly form friendships with these students and even help them to be part of the Swim Team. Then this past Summer, Anna went even further to redesign the games and activities to be inclusive for all of this year's special needs students.”

The Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program provides $1,000 scholarships to students who strive to achieve their potential, who are catalysts for positive change in their communities, who are involved in their schools, and who serve as models for their fellow students. The philosophy behind the program is to give young people every opportunity to prepare for the future and to engage them in their communities. The program also demonstrates the importance of civic involvement, and the value placed on civic involvement by the business community.

“Each year, we are excited to provide scholarships for these talented students,” said Charisse R. Lillie, president of the Comcast Foundation and vice president, Community Investment of Comcast Corp. “Comcast seeks students who demonstrate leadership abilities in school activities and who reflect a strong commitment to community service. These students are our future leaders, and we hope these scholarships will help to power their dreams for success.”

To date, Comcast has awarded nearly $19 million to nearly 19,000 Leaders and Achievers Scholarship winners.

For more information, see www.facebook.com/ComcastLeadersandAchievers and www.facebook.com/WePowerDreams.

More information about Comcast in Washington is available at http://www.wacomcast.com