CSF Recognizes Academically Accomplished and Service-Minded Students
Ms. Nguyen, Alekhya Pushadapu (11), Garret Gattis (11), Shaili Patel (11), and Giselle Barough (12) are members of the SJHHS CSF board. They plan chapter events, deal with the budget, organize volunteers, and handle membership.
February 21, 2020
The SJHHS California Scholarship Federation (CSF) serves as an opportunity for students to be recognized for their academic achievements and provides resources to encourage community service involvement among its members.
To join, students must pay dues of $10 per semester and meet the academic requirements- a point system based on the letter grades earned in courses the student took the last semester. Ten points in total are required with an A earning three points and a B earning one point, however a certain amount of points must come from three different lists of courses, sorted based on rigor. Students with any Ds or Fs will not be admitted into the organization.
The organization is advised by math teachers Ms. Nguyen and Ms. Kile and is coordinated by six officers: president junior Garrett Gattis, vice president junior Alekhya Pushadapu, vice president of communications senior Kiley Espineira, secretary junior Shaili Patel, treasurer senior Giselle Baraugh, and service commissioner sophomore Issy Seigel.
“I really like CSF because when you work hard through school and you get these good grades it’s a great symbol of how hard you’ve worked when you get into an organization. It’s rewarding,” said Gattis.
Recently, CSF has put more emphasis on the service aspect of the organization by suggesting that their members complete five hours of community service each semester. While not a requirement, it can assist with earning scholarships during senior year which are put out by the main hub of CSF and can be grade based, service based, or simply open to all CSF seniors.
In addition to being considered for a selection of scholarships during senior year, students who earn the title of Sealbearer for being a member for 4 semesters during sophomore, junior, and senior year will also receive gold cords to wear at senior awards and a seal on their diploma.
This year, CSF has hosted a food drive, helped out at different events such as after-school tutoring, and will help organize and run the second annual Walk for Wellness on February 22nd.
“The Walk for Wellness is a huge one that Ms. Kile and I have been trying to be a part of. We get a big group of CSF volunteers. Last year we did and then this year we have people already volunteering,” said Nguyen.
In the coming years, Kile and Nguyen hope to introduce scholarships for SJHHS seniors, with funds coming from proceeds that are received from member dues.
“Ms. Kile and I want to do scholarships through our funds specifically. So we would offer those at the end of the year to seniors who are continuing higher education,” said Nguyen. “Not quite yet because we do have a lot of paperwork that has to go through first, but our goal is to have a San Juan Hills CSF scholarship.”
Raj Bhatt, junior, is a member of CSF and for him, it serves as an opportunity to be rewarded for his academic success.
“I enjoy CSF because it allows me to meet other academically motivated students. I would recommend CSF to students who are serious about their academics and want to gain potential scholarships,” said Bhatt.
