Audrey Overly wins Gunnison Valley Jaycees Service Club youth award and scholarship
Clara Hatcher
Staff writer
7/13/2017
GUNNISON—Graduated senior Audrey Overly has been awarded the 2017 Jaycee’s Distinguished Service Scholarship of $500 for her academic achievement and community service involvement.
This is the first year for the scholarship. Previously, the Jaycees Service Club has presented Distinguished Service Awards to members of the community. The scholarship is given to one graduating senior in lieu of service awards given in the past.
Each applicant submitted a resume of service, school transcript and an essay. All applicant names and identities were undisclosed to a panel of four judges who reviewed applications and awarded a winner.
Overly was chosen for her leadership and service throughout high school. In the last four years, Overly worked 483 collective hours of service through her church, high school projects, her community and on her own serving one-on-one.
But Overly never thought of these things as “service.”
“It’s just the way I grew up,” Overly said. “I never realized things like baking cookies for the elderly or helping a neighbor move in was considered community service.”
Overly’s mother, Janelle, said that their family has always been involved in service and, because they live in a smaller town, there are more opportunities to get involved.
“There’s less people and more work to get done,” Janelle said.
Three days a week Overly visits and assists Joye Hanson, a local widow. Overly said she helps Hanson in simple ways by taking out the garbage, picking up mail and going grocery shopping. This, Overly said, has been her most rewarding service experience.
In the past, overly has been a judge at the elementary Science Fair and Reflections contests, a tutor at the elementary, a volunteer for choreography instruction at summer dance camps and for annual Easter egg hunts and Fourth of July carnivals. Overly has planted flower baskets on Main Street, played piano for the Care Center and participated in food drives.
These are just a few projects on Overly’s resume. Throughout her work, Overly has maintained a 3.9 grade point average and worked part time at the movie theater and cleaning a local office building. She is currently working full time at Gunnison Valley Bank.
Overly plans to use her scholarship to help pay tuition at Brigham Young University, where she will be a freshman this coming fall. She plans to major in graphic design, but would like to explore various fields of study.
