SNELLVILLE – The Snellville Commerce Club rewarded two area students with $1,000 scholarship checks Tuesday.
Each year, the Snellville Commerce Club, the business arm of Snellville Tourism and Trade, awards two $1,000 scholarships to a student active in either FBLA or the DECA program from Brookwood and South Gwinnett high schools. Students must demonstrate academic success and have been engaged in the community.
South Gwinnett's recipient was Arnesha Clark. Brookwood's winner was Philena Yang.
"The Snellville Commerce Club is proud to offer these scholarships to these deserving students each year," said STAT Executive Director Kelly McAloon. "We hope these scholarships help them with their education and wish them success in the years to come."
Arnesha Clark, South Gwinnett High SchoolArnesha is a hard-working student athlete and AP scholar who is very active and dedicated to her community. She serves as secretary of the FBLA at SGHS and is an officer of the DECA program. She is a year round cheerleader which means she cheers for competition, basketball and football. Being a cheerleader has helped Arnesha manage her time wisely and also has given her plenty of volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
Arnesha is planning on attending Georgia Southern University and majoring in biology and attending the Nursing Program. She is involved in many volunteer and community service centers around Gwinnett County.
One of the roles most important to her is being involved with the Snellville Youth, Commission as a youth ambassador for the city of Snellville and serves as Mayor Pro Tem. She is also a second-year Explorer in the Sarah Care of Snellville Explorer Program.
She is a violinist and is a principal player in the first violin section. She is also active in her community and volunteers at Eastside Garden to socialize with the elderly during their ice cream socials and spends time at Sarah Care with an explorer buddy who has Alzheimer's or dementia. She also mentors younger girls and has cleaned up and repainted the school. She volunteers at the Co-op and works at Honey Baked Ham seasonally.
Philena Yang, Brookwood High SchoolAt Brookwood High School, Philena serves as the co-president of the FBLA and is a member of the BETA Club. She has demonstrated academic excellence and commitment to her school and community.
She has been accepted to Georgia Tech to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science with the end goal of also attaining a Master's Degree in Management Information Systems at the University of the Georgia. Her goal is to become a Computer Systems Analyst.
Philena took first place in the FBLA 2018 Regional Leadership Conference along with many other FBLA local and regional awards. She is very involved in her community serving as Camp Director at Crews STEM Technology Camp, tutors students, volunteers at Camp Invention guiding elementary students through the basics of entrepreneurship and engineering and manages 30 students through the camp day. She is the campaign leader that organizes activities and fundraisers benefiting the March of Dimes. She also volunteers with the Adopt-A-Road Program and cleans the roads outside of Brookwood High School.
Philena, while keeping a 4.0 GPA and volunteering in her community, has also managed to work at a job while in school.
Coming from a family of 10, Philena's aspirations continue to grow and she is confident that she will have a tremendous impact at the college she attends, her community, family and peers in her future endeavors.
For more information about STAT and the Snellville Commerce Club visit www.snellvilletourism.com.
