The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is pleased to announce that students Madeline Ahearn and Kyle Hawkins will each receive $5,000 toward their college education as this year’s recipients of the CVSA College Scholarship Award Program.
The CVSA College Scholarship Award Program recognizes outstanding students who excel in academic performance, volunteer work, community service and extracurricular activities. Applicants for the scholarship award must write and submit two essays, provide two letters of recommendation and a high school transcript, and have a 3.0 minimum grade point average (or equivalent). Ahearn and Hawkins both impressed the college scholarship award selection committee with their applications and were selected as the 2022 scholarship award recipients.
Madeline Ahearn is the daughter of Sean Ahearn with the Pennsylvania State Police. She will attend Vassar College in New York and plans to pursue a career in the medical field. Kyle Hawkins is the son of Rodney Hawkins of Vulcan Materials Company, a CVSA Class III Associate Member. Kyle will attend the University of Idaho and focus his academics on fire science and forestry.
Madeline Ahearn was captain of her school’s varsity basketball team, which earned two district championships and made it into the playoffs. Outside of school and extracurricular activities, Ahearn volunteered at a soup kitchen and worked at a basketball club, running camps and coaching youth basketball teams. In addition, Ahearn was in the top 6% of her class, demonstrating her commitment to academics. She was also on the Honor Roll and a member of the National Honor Society. She was nominated for the Envision Leadership Career Program and was part of the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. In addition, she was involved with Key Club and the Future Business Leaders of America.
“I have always valued helping others which is why I plan on working in the medical field after college,” said Ahearn. “I plan to learn how the mind and body work together to carry out everyday processes and what happens when they don’t function properly. I want to help diagnose and treat those in my community who may struggle with cognitive issues.”
“Madeline was a self-motivated student who always put forth her best effort,” said Derek Smith, Madeline’s math teacher. “Madeline always displayed a positive attitude and is well liked by her peers. I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach Madeline two years at the high school.”
Kyle Hawkins was a member of the National Society of High School Scholars and received the Outstanding Leadership Award, a faculty-nominated award given to one class student. In addition to his academics, Hawkins also excelled in sports, playing on the varsity football team and varsity wrestling. While recovering from an injury, Hawkins remained connected to sports by serving in a coaching capacity, where he discovered an interest in coaching high school football after college.
“I plan to become a wildland firefighter for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,” said Hawkins. “My interest in this line of work stems from wildland fires in my county over the last several years. It is a selfless job that saves our wildlands and communities and I hope to one day manage a fire crew near my hometown in Sonoma County.”
During his high school years, Hawkins served the Sonoma County Farm Bureau by assisting with various events and delivering interactive educational exhibits for elementary school students and the local community. In addition, he volunteered at the Redwood Empire Food Bank sorting and packaging food for delivery to schools, shelters and food pantries.
“Kyle was immediately noticeable as a student who is unfailingly respectful of authority, cheerful and friendly,” said Eleanor Trent, English department instructor. “He is also a leader, active in several areas of community life and a disciplined student in whom I witnessed significant academic growth.”
Previously, the CVSA College Scholarship Award Program award amount was $1,000 per award recipient. In December 2021, the CVSA Board of Directors voted to increase the award amount from $1,000 to $5,000. This was the first year the award amount was $5,000 and Ahearn and Hawkins were the first to receive the increased award amount.
CVSA will begin accepting 2023 scholarship applications in February 2023.
The CVSA College Scholarship Award Program is dedicated to Gary E. Curtis. While working for the Virginia State Police, Curtis was an active member of CVSA and a cornerstone in the development of the North American Standard Inspection Program. He served as CVSA’s director of technical services in 1992. His efforts and contributions helped form the solid base upon which CVSA now proudly stands. Curtis lost his life to cancer in December 1998.