SLHS Soph Helps Send Off Deserving Senior

When South Lakes High School sophomore Sahana Arkalgud was organizing her International Baccalaureate Middle Years Project, she challenged herself to do something to help the community.

When Nicole Garanzini leaves for James Madison University in the fall, she will take the community's generosity with her.

Arkalgud's project was to fund a scholarship for a deserving SLHS senior. That's how the Avidity Scholarship was born - and Garanzini will be its first beneficiary.

This year's Avidity Scholarship is for $5,000, which Arkalgud was able to raise in donations from individuals and businesses in the Reston community.

"I went and talked to privately owned business and told them 'this is what I am setting up. I want to benefit the community,' " Arkalgud said. 

Arkalgud says procuring money was more difficult than she thought. Many local businesses are corporately owned and do their charitable contributions though the home office. 

"I wasted about a month looking in the wrong places," she said. "Some companies just wanted to donate products."

Finally, several local companies, including SyApps, LLC and Loudoun's PAL Dental Group, gave large donations. The rest rolled in $50 and $100 at a time, says Arkalgud.

Arkalgud publicized the scholarship through South Lakes' morning announcements. About 10 students applied for the scholarship. Among the requirements were two essays. Topics: what sets them apart from everyone else and their most favorable high school project.

The school's scholarship committee chose the winner.

Arkalgud says she is motivated to keep the scholarship going - after all, Avidity means "eagerness to succeed."

"I am going to try and do it as long as the funds keep coming in," she said. "We already have some money for next year."

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