FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

North Star Youth Partnership Awards $18,000 Grant McKee and Robert Caldwell Service & Leadership Scholarships To 11 Prescott-Area Students

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (June 15, 2020): Eleven students from Prescott High School, Bagdad High School, BASIS High School and Tri-City College

Prep were awarded Grant McKee and Robert Caldwell Service and Leadership scholarships through North Star Youth Partnership, a program of Catholic Charities.

The scholarships are named in recognition of Grant McKee and his cousin, Robert Caldwell, two of the Prescott Hotshot firefighters who perished in the 2013 Yarnell Fire. Established seven years ago, $92,400 in scholarships have been awarded, including those from this year. All scholarship recipients have participated in North Star’s Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) program. PAL, a proven national model and evidence-based program, creates a peer-to-peer environment designed to encourage teens by building resiliency and assets through youth leadership, mentoring and community prevention activities.

“All of the scholarship applicants care deeply for others, the environment and the world at large,” said Diane DeLong, senior program manager, North Star Youth Partnership. “It is evident they also take their responsibility of a role model very seriously. Their plans after graduation are exciting, their dreams lofty and their commitment to achieve their goals inspiring.”

Scholarship recipients are Bagdad High School – Daniel Terrones; BASIS High School – Joshua Inman, Alex Reinert, Cameron Teel and Rebekah Stine; Tri-City College Prep – Audry Wang, Camille Call and Arielle Hughes; Prescott High School – Cade Thein, Holly Martinez and Kristen McCrea.

Daniel Terrones from Bagdad High School is planning on attending Eastern Arizona College before transferring to The University of Arizona to earn a degree

in Engineering. He has been in the PAL program for four years and was president of the Bagdad PAL group this year.

Rebekah Stine from BASIS Prescott is planning on attending Northern Arizona University this fall, studying Criminology with a minor in Middle Eastern countries. She wants to focus on Homeland Security and Criminal Profiling. She has been in the PAL program for four years.

Cameron Teel from BASIS Prescott has been accepted into University of Arizona's honors program and will be studying politics with a focus on foreign affairs and international political issues. She has been in the PAL program for three years and served as president of the BASIS PAL group this year.

Alex Reinert from BASIS Prescott is planning on attending the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majoring in Biosystems Analytics and Technology. He has been in the PAL program for three years.

Arielle Hughes from Tri-City College Prep, will be working toward her pilot’s license over the summer and attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical School in the fall, majoring in Aeronautical Business, with a minor in Fixed Wing Piloting. She has been in the PAL program for three years.

Joshua Inman from BASIS will attend Arizona State University in the fall, majoring in Statistics and Computer Science. His intended career is a data analyst for a Major League Baseball team. He has been in the PAL program for two years.

Cade Thein from Prescott High School will attend Yavapai college for two years then transfer to Northern Arizona University to finish his degree. He has been in the PAL program for two years and was president of the Prescott High School PAL group this year.

Audry Wang from Tri-City College Prep plans to attend Northern Arizona University in the fall to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. She will then continue her studies to become a veterinarian, specializing in small animals, wildlife, or zoo animals. She has been in the PAL program for three years and was president of the Tri-City College Prep PAL group this year.

Kristin McCrea from Prescott High School will be attending Arizona State University West in the Barrett's Honors College Program in the New Initiative and Science Directives Division and will be majoring in Forensic Science. She has been in the PAL program for one year.

Holly Martinez from Prescott high school plans to pursue a degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a major in Forensic Psychology and possibly working toward a doctorate degree. She has been in the PAL program for one year.

Camille Call from Tri-City College Prep, plans to attend Yavapai College in the fall and get her Associate’s Degree in Elementary Education she will and then continue her education at Northern Arizona University or at Brigham Young University to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree. She has been in the PAL program for one year.

Financial support for the scholarships was provided by American Legion Post 6 and the Paul and Patricia Taylor Family Foundation.

For more information about Catholic Charities Community Services, visit www.CatholicCharitiesAZ.org.

About Catholic Charities:

Founded in 1933, Catholic Charities provides care for the vulnerable of all faiths in central and northern Arizona through programs in foster care, early education, veteran services, refugee resettlement, and homeless outreach. Housing for Hope, a separate 501c3, is an affiliate of Catholic Charities and provides affordable housing. Learn more by visiting www.catholiccharitiesaz.org or www.housingforhopeAZ.org. Social connections include www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesAZ and twitter.com/CCArizona.

Contact:
Jean Christofferson, Catholic Charities Community Services, 602-650-4847