Four area high school students earn $1,000 scholarships apiece as exemplary goodwill citizens through participating in their high school Harris County Citizen Corps Teen Community Emergency Response Team, or Teen CERT.

Students from Deer Park High School, Hargrave High School in Huffman and Spendora High School gain the scholarships at an awards ceremony on May 14 from 3-4:30 p.m. at Harris County Department of Education, 6300 Irvington.

Gainer, Donnelly & Desroches donated the funds to make the scholarships possible.

“This celebration marks the first time we have awarded scholarships in this program,” said HCDE Center for Safe and Secure School’s John Wilson. 

The scholarships go to Nataly Garcia and Amanda Johnson from Deer Park High School (Dayna Wrobleski, instructor); Corey R. Neuman of Hargrave High (Terry Vaughn, instructor); and Rebeccah Gale Rosebush of Splendora High School (Melissa A. Sanders, instructor).

Teen CERT is currently offered in 22 area schools districts in greater Harris County. The program is a part of Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s Harris County Citizens Corps and is coordinated through Harris County Department of Education.  It empowers teens as first responders for community emergencies.  Teens enrolled in the program learn to put out fires, triage accident victims, perform search-and-rescue tactics and assist in disaster relief.

“These scholarship recipients have demonstrated a strong sense of civic responsibility,” said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.“They are an example of the positive impact Teen CERT is having in our community.”

For more information about Teen CERT, e-mail Rosie Flores, rflores@hcde-texas.org . 

About HCDE: Harris County Department of Education provides education services to 26 school districts in Harris County and the general public throughout Harris County. Services include adult education, after-school programs, purchasing cooperatives, therapy services, professional development for educators, alternative certification for principals and teachers, Head Start programs, facilities construction and school finance support services.  Access www.hcde-texas.org.