Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Virginia Beach, VA – The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center’s Volunteer League, through the Virginia Aquarium Foundation, awarded a total of $15,000 in scholarships to three high-achieving Aquarium volunteers. The scholarship winners are recent 2024 graduates selected through an application process requiring a minimum of 125 Aquarium volunteer hours.
The scholarship winners are Olivia Evener, Isabella, Klaus, and Reagan Labert, who were each chosen for a $5,000 award based on their continuous effort beyond their assigned volunteer tasks, their quality guest interactions, dependability, school standing, and community involvement.
“Our volunteers are an instrumental part of our guest experience, and these three volunteers are well-deserving of this honor and recognition,” said Virginia Aquarium President and CEO, Cynthia Whitbred-Spanoulis. “Their passion is admirable, and we are excited to see everything they accomplish in their future and in the field of science.”
Olivia Evener is graduating from Catholic High School with a 4.28 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society, and Honor Society for English, Science, and Social Studies. Beyond the classroom, Evener is a captain of her school’s varsity tennis and swim teams. Evener plans to attend Elon University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. During her four years as an Aquarium volunteer, Evener has accumulated 325 volunteer hours.
Isabella Klaus is graduating from Catholic High School with a 3.91 GPA and is a member of National Honor Society, English Honor Society, and Science Honor Society. She plans to attend Jacksonville University to pursue a major in marine science and veterinary studies and eventually pursue a career as a veterinarian. Klaus has volunteered for nearly three years at the Virginia Aquarium and has accumulated 361 volunteer hours during this time.
Reagan Labert is graduating from the Mathematics and Science Academy at Ocean Lakes High School with a 4.62 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Co-Editor in Chief of the Virginia Junior Academy of Science. Labert will attend Yale University to major in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. During her four years as an Aquarium volunteer, she has accumulated 573 volunteer hours and was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award twice.
The Virginia Aquarium’s Volunteer League has been awarding scholarships since 2007, totaling more than $134,000 in scholarships.
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center’s mission is to connect people to the marine environment, inspiring a more sustainable future. The Aquarium aspires to be a driver in conservation, education, tourism, and sustainability, leading the charge to save wildlife and their ecosystems. Owned by the City of Virginia Beach, the Aquarium operates as a city department in partnership with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation. The Aquarium is proud to be an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquarium, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supports the work of the Virginia Aquarium. The Foundation procures and maintains the Aquarium's exhibits, including the animals and habitats. It is also responsible for annual and capital fundraising, administration and funding for the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program, conservation and scientific research efforts, and the Aquarium's mission-related education programs. You can be a part of our mission by making a tax-deductible donation to support our programming.
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