Each fall the Oklahoma City Downtown Lions club sponsors a scholarship program call the High-Lions program. Monthly throughout the fall, winter, and spring of each year, high school seniors are recommended to the club by counselors from schools throughout the metro area. The High-Lion scholarship program has been providing over $13,500 in scholarship monies for these deserving high school seniors each year for several years now. The first place winner receives a $7,000 dollar scholarship to the school of his or her choice. The other monthly winners receive lesser but equally important amounts.
This has become the most popular community service program among the members of the club. We feel it is a true investment in the future of the nation, and the young people, by and far, have not let us down in our beliefs. The following photo is of the 2004-2005 winner of the top scholarship with President John Maisch. As new winners are chosen, they will be featured on this site. We are very proud of each and every one of them!
Our Hi-Lion Of The Year for 2006 is a vivacious and charming young lady, Kristen Arambula. She was chosen as recipient of our top scholarship award ($7000), from the school year's monthly Hi-Lion winnners, by the Scholarship Selection Committee, in mid-May. She will receive her scholarship funding in increments of $1500/year, topped off with a $1000, cash, graduation bonus.
Kristen is a graduate of Mount St. Mary's High School in south Oklahoma City. While at "The Mount" she excelled at athletics as well as in the classroom. Playing soccer every year, she was the Captain of the Varsity Soccer Team for 2006. She was ranked as a Top Ten Senior, based on her weighted GPA of 4.72, and demonstrated that her successes were not simply grades; she "tested out" of College Freshman English 1 and Spanish 1, major milestones in avoiding a part of the mundane requirements for Freshmen. She also received the Outstanding Graduate Award for having the highest grade in psychology for the 2005-06 scholastic year at Mt. St. Mary's. Kristen is a talented and accomplished singer and some-times actress. She was President of her Drama Club, sang in two major dramatic productions and participated in every talent show held at her school, every year.
Kristen is enrolled at the University Of Oklahoma for the 2006-07 school year, with a planned undergrad major of Biology; later, Pediatric Physical Therapy.. Although she received generous sholarships to attend Oklahoma City University, the high total cost of attending OCU entered into her decision to attend OU. She will be able to live at home, commuting to campus each day, in order to keep her costs down. Her parents are totally and unequivocally supportive of her academic aspirations. Unable to provide much assistance in the way of funding, they will continue to support her by providing her the loving home she has always had and appreciates.
Kristen Arambula is an absolutely wonderful and beautiful young woman; charming, gracious and intelligent. She is truly an asset to our Club, a terrific representative of our Hi-Lions Scholarship Program. Over the next four years, we will welcome her back to visit with us, as her schedule permits, to provide us with the satisfaction that our program, and our investment in her, are well founded, indeed.
We are indeed proud to have her as the Hi-Lion of the year!