Girls’ League, a club at Diamond Bar High School advised by English teacher Lisa Pacheco, gave out its annual scholarship awards to graduating seniors last week. This year, the club gave three winners $500 prizes each.

Awards are given out to students who have contributed the most to our community, from dedicating their time to benefit others to showing the most commitment during their high school career. Saakib Akbany and Rae Lasko each won a $500 award while Adam Hsu won the other $500 as an award specifically made for the club’s officers.

Winners are not required to be a part of Girls League. Akbany, for example, does not have any prior experience with the club. However, he has spent over 400 hours volunteering at the St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, the Council for American Islamic Relations, and the South Asian Parent Association.

“I feel what separated me from the other candidates was why I volunteer,” he said via Facebook. “My primary reason for volunteering and the driving force behind a lot of my life is my desire to make a lasting impact in the world.”

In addition to going through an interview, the applicants were required to submit a 300-500 word essay, student transcripts, a resume that reflects the candidate’s community service, a verification of an accepted university, and a letter of recommendation.