LAHS Junior Isabella Blair is presented with a Rotary Club of Los Alamos Distinguished Student of Service Award, pictured here with her parents, Michael and Melissa Blair, and teacher Tacarra Lake, who nominated her for the award. Photo by Linda Hull
BY VINCENT CHIRAVALLE
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
May 21 the Rotary Club of Los Alamos presented Isabella Blair, a Los Alamos High School junior with a Distinguished Student of Service award. Isabella is indeed one who has made service part of her life and she is a very well-rounded student. Isabella is a member of the National Honor Society, Rotary Interact Club, and Los Alamos Teen Court. She was selected and served as the New Mexico Youth Advocate for the YMCA. In addition to these activities Isabella participates in Model United Nations, Youth and Government, Speech and Debate, and Student Council.
In her essay Isabella describes her experience as the New Mexico Youth Advocate for the YMCA. In this role she attended meetings with members of Congress in Washington DC to advocate for the YMCA’s legislative prioritiesincluding funding the Child Care and Development Block Grant, the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotions, and supporting the Charitable Act as well as the Investing in Rural America Act.
Isabella described the importance of each of these legislative priorities as follows, “Each one of these priorities aims to address a problem for youth within our community. The CDC’s chronic disease prevention program helps reduce childhood obesity and reduces the risk of children developing a chronic disease. The Investing in Rural America Act impacts communities like ours that lack infrastructure for childcare centers, education institutions, hospitals and more. I acquired the ability to effectively communicate my ideas with high-ranking officials and how to work as a team with YMCA CEOs when meeting with members of Congress. When I returned from Washington DC, I met again with Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez at our local YMCA where she saw the impact the YMCA has on the youth of our community. It was an amazing experience where I got to advocate for the community I love. plan to continue advocating
for our community in the future.”
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos feels that this is a very worthy effort and commends Isabella for her service to the youth in Los Alamos. When receiving the award Isabella was joined by her mother Melissa Blair, her father Michael Blair, and LAHS teacher Tacarra Lake, who nominated her for the award. Rotarian Vincent Chiravalle conducted the award ceremony.