By: Donya Hassanshahi
On Tuesday, April 18, Redwood High School seniors were present alongside other high schools within the VUSD district to celebrate their contributions as members in the California Scholarship Federation [CSF] club.
During the lunch hour, over 280 VUSD [Visalia Unified School District] students went to the convention center to receive recognition for their commitment to CSF over the past four year.
From Redwood, 76 students qualified for lifetime memberships and 44 students were potential lifetime members.
Photo Courtesy of Gigantea Staff
Considering it is Mrs. Vieira’s first year as the CSF advisor, she says “the officer team this year—I got really lucky. They’re a wonderful group of girls who have been an absolute pleasure getting to know and work alongside them as they try to leave their mark on the community and make things a little bit better and more positive.”
When regarding the class of 2023, Vieira says, “The senior class in particular has been through it: they had their freshmen year cut shot, their sophomore year was on Zoom for the most part, [and] their junior year they were wearing masks for the most of it.”
Given the obstacles that these students have encountered, she says, “Whether they know it or not, they’ve overcome a lot…to see those kids still commit to their academics, despite all the challenges they had to go through, is pretty special.”
President Kylie Schieferle, ’23 was in attendance of the event last Tuesday. She has been an active member of CSF since her freshman year.
At the event, Schieferle says, “Every student had an equal amount of time on stage to speak of their future plans post-graduation.”
Although she is a member of the Redwood CSF officer team, she says, “I wouldn’t really say I was more involved in the event than others, for it was a more fast-paced event to where every student attending had the opportunity to stand on stage with their peers in front of their loved ones and other students.”
As the hour progressed, Schieferle says that she reflects on the luncheon as “…a way for all lifetime members to celebrate their dedication to the club, as it displays their hard work in up keeping a high-grade point average and involvement in the community throughout all four years of high school.”
It was nice to have an event that recognizes all CSF members in Visalia, as each and every student has worked diligently to achieve academic excellence,” says Schieferle.
Photo Courtesy of CSF Instagram
Similar to Schieferle, Vice President Leena Aziz, ’23 was a part of last week’s event as a devoted member since her freshman year.
She says, “My involvement as the CSF Vice President this year definitely helped me better understand just how much effort and dedication goes into being a lifetime member.”
Such involvements include “maintaining grades [and] taking every opportunity to help serve the community.”
During the luncheon, Aziz says her presence “…made me feel proud to recognize the hard work and dedication that got me here as a lifetime member.”
To receive updates on meeting dates or upcoming service events, students can reach the CSF officer team via Instagram (@rhscsf), Remind (@rhscsf2223), and Minga.
Donya Hassanshahi
Donya Hassanshahi, '24 is a third year journalism student writing for the Redwood Gigantea. She seeks interest in the Humans of Redwood, hoping to inspire the Redwood community with her writing. You can reach her by her email at donya.hassanshahi@gmail.com.
Tags: club, clubs & lifestyles, CSF, Donya Hassanshahi, lifetime members, rangers, Redwood, redwood csf, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, visalia ca
