Paradise Valley High School students Megan Howell, a sophomore, and Lasya Sreenivasan, a junior, are two of the six recipients of the 2019-20 Brilliant, Beautiful, and Bold Role Model Award sponsored by the Girls Rule Foundation.
“We decided to nominate these students because they are the epitome of beautiful, brilliant, and bold role models. They devote countless hours to the PVSchools Women in Information Technology (WIT) program with a strong focus on cybersecurity and ed tech. All of the students we nominated are leaders in their schools and communities. They are some of the hardest working young ladies I have ever encountered and are all extremely driven and motivated. They pour hours into everything they undertake to make sure they are achieving to their highest level while representing the district, themselves, and women everywhere the best they possibly can,” said Karen Mensing, technology integration facilitator.
As a Brilliant, Beautiful, and Bold Role Model award winner, the students will receive:
• $1,000 in total to further their dreams from the Laura Anderson Scholarship Fund
• Leadership mentoring with our amazing mentors Laurie Sliva and Lori Severson
• They are the face of Girls Rule for one year
Howell reflected on the significance of being the recipient of this award. “I am so grateful for this incredible opportunity with Girls Rule. I cannot wait to improve my personal leadership skills and become a stronger force for my community.”
Before the hosts presented the 2019-20 Brilliant, Beautiful, and Bold Role Model winners, there was a series of speeches from the young women, as well as reading each bio.
“I remember feeling the tension and anxiety in the air as all the girls around me grew clammy from anticipation. All of the women around me were astounding with an array of different accomplishments hidden beneath their nervous smiles. It was at this moment that I felt calm. Every single person nominated that day deserved the award, and I would be happy whatever the outcome. It was a long-awaited moment. They announced the first winner, and we clapped. It was time for the second girl and we screamed as soon as the words ‘Megan’ left her mouth. None of us thought another girl from the same district would be a winner, so we settled upon the fact that no one else would get it. Then, we heard the words, ‘These names were a bit hard to pronounce.’ I won. I didn’t expect it, not in the slightest. That day, I realized what winning that award truly meant. It was the opportunity to represent all of the brilliant, beautiful, and bold people sitting around me. It was taking their voices and ideas and shining a light on them. Through the mentoring and program, I aspire to further the programs of many women working hard to make changes to the world they live in, and I aspire to do this while learning new lessons and forging long-lasting friendships with the other girls,” added Sreenivasan.
PVSchools had four additional students nominated for this award. The students are Trinity Lane, a junior at Pinnacle High School; Willow Poorten, a senior at Horizon High School; Alyssa Norling, a junior at Pinnacle High School; and Aileen Hammer, a junior at Paradise Valley High School.
