Talia Dreicer Talia Dreicer is the newest Rotary Student of the Month. Her community service, scholastic achievements and attitude towards her peers and learning were recognized during last week’s club meeting at the Cottonwood on the Greens restaurant.
Dreicer is a varsity cross country runner, a Link Crew Leader who helps incoming freshman adjust to life in high school, and a Pajarito Environmental Education Center volunteer.
She also maintains a 4.0 GPA and strives to help improve her peers’ nutritions.
In her essay for the Student of the Month award, Dreicer described how hunger and inadequate nutrition impacts children and teens nation-wide: their health is affected, as well as their ability to concentrate and learn in school. According to a survey by Feeding America, in 2012 16 million children lived in households in which food was scarce. New Mexico was ranked among the top five states for number of households and children without adequate food.
Dreicer wrote she was troubled by these statistics, especially in light of her observation that many families often throw away excess food. She believes that she has the power to tackle this problem one community at a time, starting in Los Alamos, by serving breakfast to children at school or preparing and distributing groceries to underprivileged families.
The Rotary Club’s motto is “Service above Self.” The Rotary Club of Los Alamos sponsors the Student of the Month program to honor high school students who exemplify this motto. Teachers at the high school are asked to nominate students who:
Have given positive contributions to their school and the community,
Have a good attitude about learning,
Are good citizens and respectful of their teachers and peers,
And have good grades, attendance, and classroom participation.
Additionally, this year student nominees wrote an essay describing how they would use community service to address a significant problem teens may face today.
