2006 Founders Trophy presented to Mayra Valencia
On March 16, 2006, the Benton County Foundation presented the first annual Youth Award – The Founders Trophy – recognizing these three elements, the vision of our founders, Service to Others, and Youth.
BCF board member Susan Schmidt presented the first Founder’s Trophy to Mayra Valencia, a senior at Corvallis High School.
Mayra is a role model and an every-day hero to her fellow students. Her father is disabled and she takes care of her 14-year-old brother and the household: cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping. She is bilingual and serves as a bridge between the Latino and white community at school.
Mayra has done amazing deeds of community service. She single handedly asked for donations and bought Christmas gifts for the residences at Heart of the Valley Care Center and Corvallis Caring Place and the Jackson Street Youth Shelter. With the help of her Leadership Class, she organized a dinner for the homeless. She organized an annual fashion show to fund scholarships for Latino students. All races and ages participated and all races and ages attended. She concentrates on keeping her Latino sisters and brothers in school and encouraging them to attend college. She has arranged for a separate graduation ceremony to be conducted in Spanish.
She is a trained peer mediator, a presenter and supervisor for the STARS program (Students Today Aren’t Ready for Sex), Benton Food Share and her church all the while maintaining a B average. Mayra plans to attend LBCC and study Business or Education or both. Mayra is a true hero to all who know her.
Mayra received the trophy, as well as a check in the amount of $2,500 which represents the original amount of funds collected to start the Benton County Foundation.
Congratulations to Mayra!