Reaching for the Stars
Traditionally, stars represent the outstanding, the bright, the good, the positive. They symbolize noble and shining goals. Stars, as people, stand out from others; they leave a distinct mark in life and in society.
There are young stars on the rise in Blacksburg, Virginia! Three Blacksburg High School 2022 graduates have each been awarded a $2,500 STAR Scholarship from the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Ayca Bulbul, Kylene Monaghan, and Karen Villanueva were recommended by Blacksburg P.E.O. Chapters AU, BP, and AH respectively.
Since its inception in 1869, and through its six philanthropies, the women of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) have been “helping women reach for the stars” by celebrating the advancement of women; educating women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans and stewardship of Cottey College; and motivating women to achieve their highest aspirations.” What started 150 years ago with a bond of friendship among seven women in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is now one of the oldest women’s organizations in North America with more than 500,000 members in 5,800 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. During its existence this nonprofit organization has helped more than 119,000* women pursue educational goals by providing over $398 million* in educational assistance.
The STAR Scholarship is one of P.E.O.’s six projects. It was established in 2009 to provide scholarships for exceptional high school senior women to attend an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the U.S. or Canada in the next academic year. The competitive STAR Scholarship is for women who exhibit excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, community service, and potential for future success. Since its inception, $17.2 million* in STAR Scholarships have been awarded to graduating high school senior women.
Ayca, Kylene, and Karen all graduated with 4.0+ GPA’s, many of their courses being Advanced Placement or Dual Enrollment. All three are members of numerous honor societies, have strong leadership skills, and are committed to community service. However, as similar as the breadth of their high school achievements may be, their passions and goals are as varied as the stars.
Ayca Bulbul completed a stellar program of study, graduating with honors. Her passion was robotics and STEM courses. She was active in the BHS Technology Student Association, serving as president and winning awards on the regional, state, and/or national levels in twelve different career categories. While still in high school, she did research with Purdue University Science Program and Virginia Tech Department of Mining Engineering. She will attend Carnegie Mellon University in the fall to pursue a degree in computational biology. Her ultimate goal is to improve the health and well-being of society through academic or corporate research.
Kylene Monaghan’s honors in high school were myriad, including Junior Achievement Academic Award of Excellence and National Merit Finalist. She earned ADDA certification as a mechanical drafter and HSTTP certification as a building/mechanical/plumbing code specialist. Her extracurricular activities ranged from club soccer team captain to vice-president of Student Council to president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She will attend Sewanee: The University of the South majoring in physics and pursuing the pre-engineering program there as well as playing varsity soccer. Her long-term goal is to become a mechanical or chemical engineer.
Karen Villanueva also shines with her high school accomplishments. Her achievements, honors and extracurricular activies indicate the broad area of her interests: AP Scholar with Distinction and Student Council officer positions; Art and Graphic Design and BHS Forensics Team; VHSL Student Leaders’ Conference Steering Committee and MCPS Technology Department intern; Taekwondo instructor and Blacksburg Christian Fellowship. She will attend Princeton University where she plans to combine her artistic talent and her technology skills by majoring in Computer Science and Fine Arts.
Ayca, Kylene, and Karen are shining stars! This world is and will continue to be a better place because of them and what they have to offer.P.E.O. Chapters AU, BP, and AH are proud to be able to help them reach for the stars.
To learn more about P.E.O., its powerful educational philanthropies and see stories of women who have benefited from the programs, visit peointernational.org .
*As of April, 2022