Columbia High School senior Nicole Presti was awarded a prestigious National Honor Society Scholarship worth $3,200 last week. She is one of only 600 students from across the United States to receive the scholarship this year.

As a member of Columbia’s chapter of NHS, Ms. Presti was eligible to apply for this scholarship. She has a 91 GPA and is involved in a variety of school and community service activities. She tutors a freshman in Earth Science as part of NHS, she volunteers as a mentor in the NYS Mentoring Program, and she serves as senior class president and president of the school’s Ethnic Coalition.

After graduation, Ms. Presti plans to attend Siena College in the fall where she will major in communications and political science with a certificate in pre-law.

“I was really worried about the finances of college so this scholarship will really help me to achieve my goals,” said Ms. Presti. “I’m really grateful for it.”

According to Sophia Reynolds, Ms. Presti’s school counselor, this scholarship couldn’t go to a more deserving recipient.

“Nicole has come up against great odds to achieve academically,” said Ms. Reynolds, who wrote a letter of recommendation as part of Ms. Presti’s scholarship application. “She gives herself to the community, values education and she has a financial need. She has this enthusiasm, and this will, and this drive for life, helping others and being everything that she can be.”