Kiana Kelii
South Region Recipient
Chapter 1225 – Orange County School of the Arts
Adviser Deidre Spicer

Kiana Kelii is a student at the Orange County School of the Arts.  Kellie has been involved in a myriad of CSF activities, most recently writing messages to healthcare workers, donating to the OC Rescue Mission Urgent Drive, baking cookies for Thanksgiving Cook for YOUR Community Event, and donating school supplies for children and to Saddleback Church’s food pantry.

Kiana is the President of the Hawaiian Culture Club, and Co-President of St. J’s Angels Club, raising awareness about childhood cancer.  Kiana is also a member of the OCSA leadership team. Outside of school she stays busy in Girl Scouts, where she has earned her Silver and Gold Awards, and has served as a leader of a younger Girl Scout troop.

Artistically, Kiana is a pianist, and a performing hula dancer.  Membership in the Newport Outrigger Canoe Club brings out Kiana’s athletic side.  Among her many awards and recognitions, she has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and is a National Merit Commended Scholar.

“Kiana practices wellness and gratitude towards, adults, children, and the earth itself,” shares Deidre Spicer, OCSA’s CSF adviser.  Ms. Spicer says that Kaina “…has already made a lasting impression with her interest in furthering health and wellness for all humanity and her sincere desire to help others.”

In her personal statement Kaina describes an opportunity she had to learn about her ancestors caring for the land in Hawaii, and how this cultural opportunity has led to her being more involved locally in California in “…engaging in service rectifying the abuses of the land and promoting appreciation of the foods produced by it.”  Kiana closes her personal statement with “I am excited to continue of my journey of service in support of my various communities whether I am educating energetic youth on nutrition, [or] protecting the environment.”

Kiana has already been accepted to Brown University where she will major in Health and Human Biology.

Nicole Lam
South Central Region Recipient
Chapter 1075 – L.A. County H. S. for the Arts
Adviser Jerry Freedman

Nicole Lam is from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. She currently serves as the CSF President and has been very active in her chapter.

Even in this strange year with lots of distance learning, Nicole has been busy recruiting tutors, coordinating zoom tutoring sessions, creating the social media presence for her chapter, working to ensure easy access to help for students who have tutoring needs, and hosting CSF officer and general CSF meetings all year.

She has also been busy outside of her CSF chapter in her work with the “Love Through Music” Program, a non-profit organization she created to provide performances in retirement homes, veteran’s hospitals, hospices, and orphanages.

But she doesn’t stop there, she also works with the Nepal Education Project to help raise funds to donate backpacks, food, musical instruments, school supplies, and travel to Nepal to deliver them, ASB Leadership, and the LACHSA Red Cross Club.

Her CSF adviser Jerry Freedman says “she finds the time not only to be an amazing pianist, and excellent academic student, but also to help fellow students, California communities through her non-profit, and people in need half way around the world!”

She loves the dual nature of her school, Arts and Academics, and has excelled in both. In the fall, you will see Nicole on the campus of Yale University, where she will study Applied Mathematics and Piano.