Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Program

March 2, 2020 By Tom Smith

Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Program 2020

Leona Valley Sertoma
Scholarship Program 2020

The Scholarship Applications for 2020 are here!

In recognition of the importance of education the Leona Valley Sertoma established the Leona Valley SERTOMA Scholarship Program to identify and reward local students who have shown personal and intellectual qualities through academic achievement, as well as participation and leadership in extracurricular and community activities. Leona Valley Sertoma has given out almost $50,000.00, in scholarships since 1999. The goal of the program is to serve the needs of local graduating seniors and those community college students transferring to continue their education.

Scholarship consideration is also open to students attending Community college who live in Leona Valley, Green Valley, Lake Hughes, Three Points and Lake Elizabeth, who are transferring to a 4-year college.

For more information you can read the Graduating Senior and Transfer Student scholarship program information sheets at Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Program where you can also download both the information sheet and the scholarship application as Adobe PDF files.

July 26, 2018 By Tom Smith

Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship – Margaret Mihaljevich

Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Presented to Margaret Mihaljevich

On June 7, 2018 the Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship committee Chairperson, Charlene Moore, presented Margaret (Maggie) Mihaljevich with her $1,500 scholarship award to help launch the beginning of her college adventure. This Autumn, Maggie will begin studying business at the University of Washington. This young lady isn’t “just a student”, she has been named the University of Washington’s Purple and Gold Scholar at the Seattle Campus and has been offered $1,500 each academic year for four years. Sertoma’s scholarship choice isn’t just because of her yearly academic scores – it pertains to her focus on leadership and impeccable community service outside of school such as organizing blood drives, helping the homeless, volunteering at animal shelters, and time spent with local veterans for their service in the military – not to mention captain’s for the Quartz High School swim team and cheer-leading squad.

Every Spring, the Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Committee prepares to receive local applications from the areas of Three Points, Lake Hughes, Elizabeth Lake, Green Valley, and Leona Valley, and every Spring it is always a difficult choice, as all the potential recipients have worked very hard and are quite deserving. We never know how many applicants we will have to screen, but, I truly believe we make the perfect choice(s) every year.

The mission of Sertoma International is to improve the quality of life for those at risk or impacted by hearing loss through education and support, so the Leona Valley Sertoma is committed to providing one scholarship to a graduating student, who will be attending Antelope Valley College, and who is either majoring in deaf studies or who has a hearing disability.

2019 Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarhip

Charlene Moore will continue to chair the 2019 scholarship committee and we all look forward to helping deserving students dream of furthering their education after their high school graduation. The 2019 scholarship application period will open in early 2019, so be on the watch for an announcement at that time. For more on the scholarship program click here page.

As always, good luck to each and every student.

March 6, 2017 By Tom Smith

Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Program 2017

The Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Program

It’s that time of year again! The Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship committee is looking for applications from graduating seniors for the 2017 Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship program. If you live in any of the Lakes and Valleys communities and are a graduating senior, or you know someone that is, the time to act is now.

Don’t Delay! Applications must be turned in by March 31, 2017 to be considered for this year’s scholarship program. To learn more about the scholarship program and to download a copy of the application visit the Leona Valley Sertoma web site at: Leona Valley Sertoma.

Qualifications information and Scholarship Applications are available for download on our Scholarship Program page, which is located under the “About Us” link in the menu at the top of the web page. Or use this link: Scholarship Program to go directly to the Scholarship Program page.

Throughout the year Leona Valley Sertoma holds a variety of events and fundraisers and providing scholarships is one of the programs near and dear to their hearts. The number, and the amounts, of the scholarships are dictated by the amount of monies raised and the worthiness of the applicants. By helping students to continue their educations and build careers these Sertomans recognize they are insuring that the future can be a positive and exciting one.

Their hard work in putting on these events is supported by the community through their attendance and participation, which means the whole community can take pride in knowing it is supporting the hopes and dreams of these graduating seniors as they begin their journey in to adulthood. The educations they receive will enable them to become responsible adults with the ability to handle the challenges they will face in their careers, as parents, and as citizens.

The Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Program plays a key role in helping it’s members in achieving their stated mission of improving the quality of life in their local communities and to accelerate progress in health, education, freedom, and democracy. Through this program and their other programs they are helping people to help themselves and encouraging personal development.

February 7, 2017 By Tom Smith

St. Patrick’s Day – 2017

(click on image to download flyer)

It might be hard to believe, but March is just around the corner and as you probably know, that means it’s time to be putting on the green. That’s green, as in celebrating all things Irish and the good folks of Leona Valley love to get into the spirit of this festive occasion by coming together to eat, drink, and be merry. It has become one of the must do events that happens every March, where neighbors come together to laugh and enjoy each others company. In fact, it is these kind of social events that make living in Leona Valley, or in any small community, so special and it is these kinds of events that bring neighbors together to bond, form friendships, and to truly get to know each other.

This year the Leona Valley Sertoma will be holding its annual Traditional St. Paddy’s Day “Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner” on Friday, March 17th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Once again, it will be held at the Leona Valley Community Building, located at 8367 Elizabeth lake Road, in Leona Valley, California. In addition to the always delicious corned beef and cabbage, there will be a great selection of desserts AND a bar featuring Irish Coffee drinks.

The price for all of this is crazy affordable! Donations are $8.00 with Senior Adults only $7.00 and children age 12 (and under) just $4.00.

One of the great things about this event is the money raised goes to support programs of the Leona Valley Sertoma, like the Leona Valley Sertoma Scholarship Program, so it is a win-win for the whole community. Make plans to be there and invite your friends to join you and maybe you’ll all break out in to an Irish jig.

For Information Call you can call Juanita Kirkpatrick at 661-270-0588 or Charlene Moore at 661-816-5177.

And just a reminder, on this special day we are all just a little bit Irish. I’ve heard it said there are two kinds of people in the world, those who are Irish… , and those who wish they were.

Lastly, let me close with an old Irish toast: (raise your glasses!)

“May those who love us, love us
And those who don’t love us
May God turn their hearts
But if he can’t turn their hearts
May he turn their ankles
So we may know them by their limping.

Erin Go Bragh!

September 27, 2016 By Tom Smith

Leona Valley
Annual Community Garage Sale

Pictured above are Shirley Kraft (left), Recording Secretary & 1st year Sertoma Director and with her are her grandchildren (l. to r.) Owen Spencer, age 5, Madeleine Spencer, age 8, and Jackson Spencer, age 11. On the far right is Jan Clark.

The Leona Valley Annual Community Garage Sale

Leona Valley is a small community, with a big heart, that lies tucked away in the northwest corner of Los Angeles County. Each year the Leona Valley Improvement Association hosts a community-wide garage sale where residents have the opportunity to set up shop, so to speak, to sell those unwanted items, that are just taking up space, and earn a little extra cash for whatever the family might need. This year’s garage sale event took place on September 24, 2016.

In the photo above, Jackson is presenting Jan Clark, Sertoma CEO, a $5.00 donation, while stopping by Leona Valley Sertoma garage sale location that is participating in the Leona Valley Annual Community Garage Sale. Leona Valley Sertoma has been serving the community since December 1997 and is chartered through Sertoma International, a non-profit service organization. The name Sertoma comes from the phrase, “SERvice TO MAnkind” and Leona Valley Sertoma is fully commited to doing just that, they serve the Lakes and Valley communities and to make a difference through sponsorship of a variety of programs. For the most part the funds go to our special SPONSORSHIP needs, such as, the senior Christmas dinner, holiday baskets, scholarships, school projects and so many more.

Through their efforts they have always worked to improve the quality of life for those in their communities, wherever and whenever possible. Their efforts truly are making a difference and, if Spencer is any indication, that desire to help others is being passed on to those who will be the leaders of tomorrow. With the help of the Spencer children and so many other generous people, they are all helping to make a difference and are a part of the story that can only be called a “well rounded” success.

WE ARE GRATEFUL