Congratulations to Rivermont Collegiate junior Pavane Gorrepati, who has received the Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student Award! This prestigious award is a project-based scholarship for Iowa high school juniors and is unique in the fact that grades, test scores, essays, and financial need are NOT evaluated. Students are selected on the basis of submitted project proposals of their own choosing and design. Pavane's outstanding proposal, Sending Seeds Overseas, has earned her a chance at a $5,000 scholarship. Pavane will complete her project before October, when she will present it at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum in West Branch, IA along with 14 other student finalists. At that time, each finalist will receive $1,000 for participating in the program and a committee of accomplished Iowans will choose three students to win $5,000 college scholarships.
The award honors Iowa native and 31st president Herbert Hoover - the name is taken from his "On the Uncommon Man" speech. As part of the program, Pavane will spend a weekend in West Branch in June learning about President and Mrs. Herbert Hoover, including special tours of the Hoover Presidential Library-Museum and the Hoover National Historic Site. This weekend offers finalists a framework to understand the inspiration for the award and to meet other student finalists.
In addition to being an Uncommon Student, Pavane was a Senior Champion at the 2010 Eastern Iowa Science & Engineering Fair (EISEF) for her project Warning about Warming: A Global Problem with a Fuel Cell Solution and presented fuel cell projects at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) in both 2009 and 2010. She is a recipient of a Borlaug-Ruan International Internship, which will take her to the China National Hybrid Rice Research & Development Center this summer to conduct research. In addition, Pavane will travel to the National History Day Competition in Washington, D.C. in June as part of a group performance with fellow Rivermont juniors Joann Weeks, Meghana Pagadala, and Christine Mbakwe.
Though Pavane is the recipient of many honors, the Uncommon Student is unique in that it encourages young Iowans to invest their talents in their schools, communities, and beyond - to display the skills and talents that Herbert Hoover demonstrated to spot a problem, devise a solution, and make changes when needed. In the words of a parent of an Uncommon Student, "The Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student project pushed my daughter out of her comfort zone and challenged her to pursue a project she could get excited about. The Hoover project required her to test her passion and commitment, and to share it with strangers." In the words of a past Uncommon Student, "This scholarship does not grade you on your grades, test scores, or essays - just the ability to put your mind to completing something. Explore your interests or seek what needs change. The project can be anything you are interested in. Think big!"
Rivermont Collegiate, located in Bettendorf, is the Quad Cities' only private, independent college-prep school for students in preschool through twelfth grade. For additional information on Rivermont Collegiate, contact Cindy Murray, Director of Admissions, at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org. Visit us online at www.rvmt.org!
For additional information on the Herbert Hoover Uncommon Student Award, visit www.hooverassociation.org
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