Name/Age: Chris Riley, 18
School: , Class of 2011
Accomplishment: Riley will be honored on Wednesday by Comcast on the steps of the State Capitol as one of the recipients of their Leader and Achiever scholarships, in recognition of his leadership and outstanding commitment to community service.
The Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship program recognizes high school seniors for their leadership skills, positive attitude, academic achievement and community service activities.
Riley was selected by school counselors at San Ramon Valley High to represent the school in the scholarship competition.
He is one of 90 students statewide, from 104 cities and 30 counties to receive the recognition and a $1,000 scholarship.
He will have the opportunity to receive an additional $10,000 scholarship, and a new laptop computer at the event.
Comcast executives will announce the names of two lucky students to receive the additional scholarships, and will draw 20 names to receive a new laptop computer at the ceremony.
The ceremony will incude several state lawmakers and Comcast executives.
Each student and their families will also tour the State Capitol and the California Museum of Women and the Arts .
Key to Awesomeness: Riley credits the support of his close family, that has taught him to appreciate and celebrate everyone's individual attributes, as the source of what makes him a good leader.
With this foundation, he says he has "been able to relate to a lot of different people."
As a tutor, he recognized students' learning differences and adjusted his teaching method to what they needed to grasp the material.
He says a good leader "should not be afraid to make mistakes," and says that it is through his mistakes that he has learned the most.
He encourages other youths to "be creative" in getting involved in the community. "There are so many ways to get involved," he says.
For example, Riley turned his love for playing soccer, but limited time to do so, into an opportunity to give back to the community.
He didn't have time to play the sport in high school, as he had actively done for 10 years prior, so he volunteered to coach a local team.
By coaching, he got to enjoy the sport again, and encourage other young players, he says.
While at San Ramon Valley High, Riley stepped up to many leadership roles, including serving as President of the 4-H, E2 Environmental, and Habitat for Humanity clubs.
He also has been involved in numerous community service projects through his involvement in the school's Community Service Club, National Honor Society chapter, California Scholarship Federation, Interact club, and Key Club.
The recently graduated senior will attend U.C. Davis this fall, and plans to study biochemistry and molecular biology. He says he is interested in a possible career in biomedical research.
He looks forward to continuing to getting involved, and lending his leadership skills while at U.C. Davis.
Do you know a Whiz Kid that you think the community should hear about? Contact kirsten.e.branch@gmail.com or lizs@patch.com, and tell us about them!
