Local Youth Wins State Elks Scholarship

From Staff Reports

From left to right: Mrs. Irene Williams, grandmother, Shondra Bradley, and Rosalyn Valentine, Shondra’s sponsor.

Shondra Bradley, a 2006 Honors graduate of Asheville High School and daughter of Angela Baird and Alex Bradley, won the North Carolina 2006 oratorical competition sponsored by the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of The World.

Ms. Bradley represented Fawndale Lodge 363, Rhododendron Temple 573 of Asheville. She spoke on “The Empowerment of Education,” encouraging each youth to hold dear the privilege of learning and growing academically. She compared American students’ privilege to the lack of opportunities available to children in Third World countries.



She
captivated her audience with her strong presence and speaking style
while educating them with her in-depth research and statistical data.


“She a
brilliant, gifted, and talented young lady. She will go far; she will
succeed,” says Rosalyn Valentine, assistant at Asheville High School
and Shoronda’s Elk’s representative.


Ms. Bradley will
attend Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she will pursue a
pre-med degree with a discipline in optometry.


The Improved
Benevolent Protective Order Of Elks Of The World is a 100-year-old
organization whose primary objective has always been to assist youth.
The organization encourages all interested, eligible high school
students, both women and men, to apply for scholarships. More than 100
college students throughout the nation benefit from Elks Scholarships
each year.