The BECU Foundation has awarded Kirkland residents Kennedy Byrne and Dominique Tate $3,000 BECU Foundation scholarships each. They are among 80 student members to receive the scholarships.

Kennedy Byrne

Kennedy Byrne, a Juanita High School student, volunteered as a student leader at Young Life where she helped plan and run events. She will attend Washington State University.

“I’ve become a student leader and I have gotten to meet many kids at my school. Young life events are hosted once a week and we play games, sing, dance, and listen to speakers. As a student leader, I helped plan the events as well as run them. The leader team meets once a month to plan all of the events. This is where I really started to enjoy leading. I loved all of the “behind the scenes” work. I loved that I was helping to provide a place that any high school kid could come to if they felt like they had nowhere to go.”

Dominique Tate

Dominique Tate, a University of Washington student, is a youth group leader at the Antioch Bible Church where she has various responsibilities, from participating in food drives to teaching children to community outreach.

“I’ve been a leader with Antioch’s youth group for almost five years and it is a very significant part of my life. I see this volunteer work as some of the most important work I do. Children are constantly growing and learning how to communicate who they are and who they want to be. Without support, growing into adulthood is much scarier, imposing, and even worthless. People who don’t value their future don’t necessarily have purpose or hope. Helping support students spiritually, mentally, and emotionally is a big part of the work we do as leaders.”

They’re among 80 students to receive the award. The scholarship recipients were chosen based on their academic performance and passion for helping others through volunteering. Since 1995, the BECU Foundation has awarded more than $2.2 million in scholarships to 950 student members.