Elks National Foundation will leave six students with scholarships of $30,000, $40,000, and $50,000. The counselors selected and referred the top students in the senior class to the Elks National Foundation who show outstanding academic achievements, as well as leadership qualities, and community involvement. Among these lucky scholars who are eligible for the scholarships are seniors Mary Agajanian and Mark Ansell. This is the first time Elks had two students from the same school reach the top 20 scholars, according to Ansell.

Applications were submitted back in Dec. 2014, and Elks judged the applications based on GPA, ACT/SAT scores, leadership characteristics, honors, community services, work experiences, and an essay on leadership. Applicants advanced through the local, district, state, and eventually national levels. Elks judges male and female applicants separately, narrowing down the competition to ten males and ten females in the nation.

Having a high GPA and plentiful leadership experiences, Agajanian advanced to the top 20 National Finalists, making her one of the ten females qualified for the scholarships. “The scholarship should be awarded to me not only because of my leadership experiences, but also because of my extensive community involvement,” she said. Agajanian is a student board member on the Glendale Board of Education, the President of the District-Wide Student Advisory Council, Student Ambassador at the City of Glendale, and an ASB representative at Clark.

Agajanian said that the scholarship would allow her greater freedom in pursuing internships and opportunities to study abroad. “These opportunities may have been unavailable without Elks’ financial support,” she said. “The experience at the leadership weekend itself, meeting other national scholars, and participating in community outreach at a veteran’s medical center, however, is invaluable.”

Ansell, who achieved a high GPA and experienced many leadership roles and community involvement, also advanced to the top 20 with Agajanian. “I think the scholarship should be awarded to me because I am tenacious, optimistic and resilient,” he said. Having experienced a position as a Student Government Vice President, Director of Publicity, and Vice President of Associated Student Body, Ansell said that he has demonstrated leadership qualities as well as involvement in the community.

Ansell said that the scholarship is more than just financial support, but rather an encouragement to accomplish a successful future. “I believe that this scholarship, if I win or not, is an investment in me,” he said. “People are believing in me and I feel a strong responsibility to give back by continuing to volunteer and be involved in my community.” If awarded, however, the scholarship would allow him to pursue a higher education, graduate with less debt, and gain the engineering skills needed to reach his dream of a more eco friendly future.

Agajanian and Ansell will be going to an all expense paid trip to Chicago from April 24 to April 26. There, they will be vying for the top awards of $30,000, $40,000 and $50,000.

Karine Turdjian, Head Counselor and the counselor for both Agajanian and Ansell, said that she wishes them nothing but the best. “Words cannot explain how proud I am to watch them experience such high accomplishments,” she said.