Westerleigh teen
earns top-notch award from congressman
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
By TIM VASSILAKOS
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
Mary-Kate Rose, 15, a sophomore at Moore Catholic
High School, Graniteville, yesterday received the Congressional Award,
the nation's highest honor for youth.
She was presented with the award by Rep. Vito
Fossella during a ceremony in his district office.
Since 1979, the award has been presented annually
to U.S. students who set and achieve goals in voluntary public service,
including personal development, physical fitness and expedition and exploration.
On behalf of the people of Staten Island,
it is my honor to recognize the academic and personal achievements of Mary-Kate
Rose, said Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn). Mary-Kate has made her
family and all of Staten Island proud by receiving this medal. Mary-Kate
proved that hard work, dedication and a commitment to success are the keys
to achieving her goals and dreams.
Some of her projects were organizing a car
wash to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims; studying the migration of the
monarch butterfly and working to becoming a zoo docent; practicing kayaking;
participating in yoga, and traveling to the foothills of the Appalachians
in Maryland for an overnight dog-sledding trip.
I feel like I have really expanded because
of this experience, Miss Rose of Westerleigh said afterwards. Through the
amount of work and volunteering, I have matured significantly. ... I can't
wait to see what happens in my future because of this.
As a recipient of the Maverick Foundation
Gullickson-McGuire Memorial scholarship at Moore Catholic, Miss Rose is
required to complete 400 hours of public service, 200 hours of personal
development, 200 hours of physical activity and four overnight trips to
be eligible for a gold medal by graduation.
The scholarship honors the memories of Joe
Gullickson (Class of 1982) and Dan McGuire (Class of 1977). Gullickson
was a lieutenant with Ladder Co. 101 of the FDNY who perished on 9/11.
McGuire was killed in an automobile accident in September 1976 at the age
of 17.
Tim Vassilakos is a news reporter for the
Advance. He may be reached at vassilakos@siadvance.com.
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