Scholarship recipients building a better world 

Scholarship recipients building a better world 

The Kiwanis Children’s Fund honors 8 Key Club and CKI scholars.

By Erin Chandler

The eight outstanding students who received this year’s Kiwanis Children’s Fund scholarships show a special dedication to leadership and mentorship — and to ensuring everyone has equal access to the resources they need. Each recipient says that the values and skills they have learned in Key Club and Circle K International (CKI) will form the basis for the difference they’ll make. In fact, each of these brilliant scholars is already paving the way for those who will come after them. And some of them are already planning to join Kiwanis! 

The Children’s Fund is honored to help them continue their education in the upcoming academic year. 

Paige Hein
Linda Canaday Memorial Scholarship
Paige Hein recently graduated from Washington Township High School in Indiana, U.S. She was elected vice president of her Key Club in her freshman year, and she went on to serve as club treasurer, Key Leader student facilitator and lieutenant governor before becoming governor of the Indiana District. Hein’s governorship focused on raising funds and awareness for environmental sustainability. In addition, she is the cofounder and director of sustainability for the nonprofit 4SEE (Sustainability, Equity and Education). As an intern for Earth Charter Indiana, she engaged with young people and legislators in her state to advocate for the environment. Among the many roles Hein has served in, she was the lead facilitator of youth recommendations for the United Nations on the Sustainable Development Goal for climate, and copresenter of the youth track at Earth Charter Indiana’s Climate Leadership Summit. She plans to study environmental sociology at the University of San Francisco before pursuing a career in the United Nations Environment Programme. Hein pledges to use the leadership skills she gained through Key Club “to fight for a more equitable world.” 

Erina Haque
Wagner Family Scholarship
Erina Haque is a recent graduate of Lake Braddock Secondary School in Virginia, U.S. Haque served Key Club at the district and international levels, in positions that include Capital District governor. Her focus as governor was on expanding equity — she opened conversations about discrimination and hate speech; created district member representative positions to advocate for marginalized populations; and founded the District Language Services Committee to translate important Key Club documents into more languages. Outside of Key Club, Haque served as international director of public relations for Mind4Youth, one of the largest youth-led mental health nonprofit organizations in the world; captain of her school’s debate team; editor-in-chief of The Bear Facts newspaper; and president of the Social Studies Honor Society. With the Harvard Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders, she led a team lobbying for legislation to ban the sale of over-the-counter weight loss drugs to minors. During an internship with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, she designed and presented a new model for increased funding access for small business owners in developing nations. After studying international relations, government and political science at Vanderbilt University, Haque plans to run for political office, where she will “lead with care, challenging uninclusive social structures and building a better world for all.”  

Sameen Enam
Kiwanis Children’s Fund Scholarship
Sameen Enam was a member of Baton Rouge Magnet High School Key Club in Louisiana, U.S., for four years before graduating this year. She began as bulletin editor for her club and the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District before being elected district governor. As governor, Enam launched and led the “Pour It Forward” campaign to fund a freshwater well through Thirst Project. She was also vice president and cofounder of her school’s Animal Rights Preservation Club, assistant choreographer and historian for the Indian Student Association and technology coordinator for the Junior Classical League. In pursuit of her goal to become a biomedical engineer, Enam has shadowed physicians across hospital departments and is working with researchers at Louisiana State University’s College of Engineering to develop bioimaging techniques for detecting pancreatic cancer. “In biomedical engineering, I plan to apply my leadership skills to drive innovation and advocate for equitable healthcare solutions,” she says. Enam plans to attend Georgia Institute of Technology next year. 

Mohammed Ali Al-Sabeh
Kiwanis Children’s Fund Scholarship
Mohammed Ali Al-Sabeh recently graduated from Crestwood High School in Michigan, U.S. He served the Crestwood High School Key Club as underclassmen director and president before going on to positions at the district and international levels, including as an international trustee. In his first year of Key Club, Al-Sabeh launched the “Mittens for Michigan” project, which has provided over 600 giant mittens filled with comfort items for pediatric cancer patients. He also helped his school’s Key Club grow from 30 members to more than 100. In addition to shadowing medical professionals as an intern, Al-Sabeh is a math instructor at the Mathnasium Learning Center, where he has organized a monthly raffle and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Day to motivate his students. His mentorship has extended to roles in Aspire United Education’s STEM Mentorship Program and Crestwood Science Club, and to volunteer student teaching in the Dearborn High School special education classroom. As electrical lead of his school’s robotics team, he raised thousands of U.S. dollars to provide robotics mentoring to elementary and middle school students. Al-Sabeh plans to study biochemistry at the University of Southern California before becoming a UNICEF ambassador and neurosurgeon working with the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research, where he will work to break down systemic barriers to healthcare.  

Shailee Shah
CKI Past Presidents Scholarship
Shailee Shah’s commitment to combating food insecurity began in middle school, when she built three Little Free Pantries to provide 24/7 access to essential, shelf-stable food items for all who needed them. Shah is the founder and director of The Spark Momentum, a 501(c)(3) organization that spreads awareness about food insecurity and teaches others how to build Little Free Pantries in their communities. She credits Circle K International at the New Jersey Institute of Technology with providing the platform and support to expand this passion project. She has served as treasurer and president of the club, which has built and operates two more pantries in underserved communities. The first received a Tomorrow Fund grant from the Children’s Fund. Shah is a freelance artist who has served as copresident of the Pre-Health Society, a neuroscience research assistant at New Jersey Medical School and a hospitalist medical scribe. She currently works as an intern with the Biobanking Compliance Program at the New Jersey Department of Health and volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician. “Every call reinforces my passion for medicine, not just in treating individual patients, but in addressing the broader inequities that affect access and outcomes,” Shah says. “My CKI experiences have taught me that meaningful change happens when leadership is driven by empathy and action.” Shah’s goals include reducing mental health stigma as a neuropsychiatrist and establishing Little Free Pantries in every county in New Jersey, U.S. 

Hasan Ghafoor
John E. Mayfield CKI Scholarship
“In my family,” Hasan Ghafoor says, “our faith informed us that you cannot eat while your neighbor goes hungry.” He could see that his community in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, struggled to address homelessness and healthcare. “I knew that I wanted to play a role in addressing these needs, but I was uncertain how until I came across CKI during university.” Ghafoor served the University of Windsor’s Circle K International club as president and the Eastern Canada District as events chair and governor. In these roles, he focused on initiatives to provide food, healthcare access and more than 500 hygiene kits to local populations experiencing homelessness. The University of Windsor CKI’s Hygiene for Hope program received a Tomorrow Fund grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund. Outside of CKI, Ghafoor spreads awareness of homelessness in his community as host and producer of the campus radio show “Word on the Street.” He was also copresident of the MusicBox Children’s Charity, which organizes music education for underprivileged children, a peer mentor for the University of Windsor’s Outstanding Scholars Program and a volunteer teacher of elementary school students in its Let’s Talk Science program. While pursuing a career as a physician, Ghafoor interns at a respirology clinic and a retina clinic, and he volunteers as a pediatrics assistant and as a rehabilitation aid. He also works part-time as a coach for weekly sports programs. 

Riya Goyal
Kiwanis Children’s Fund Scholarship
Riya Goyal is a computer science and mathematics major at Stockton University in New Jersey, U.S. She has been a member of Circle K International for four years and currently serves on the CKI board’s Brick x Brick Committee. She says working with Brick x Brick has been an eye-opening experience because “we weren’t just tackling problems; we were bridging cultures, creating connections and turning ideas into tangible change.” Goyal began her university career with “a deep desire to help international students navigate the challenges of college life.” She created a community by mentoring high school and college students in the Success Scholars Program; as a team lead in the Governor STEM Scholars program; as a volunteer math tutor for Encorps and SchoolHouse; and as a math and computer science tutor, admissions ambassador and resident assistant for Stockton University. She is founding president of the Stockton International Student Organization, president of the Stockton Honors College and Alpha Lambda Delta National Honors Society, and member of the Student Senate Academic Affairs Committee and School of Business Student Advisory Board, among many other organizations. In an internship for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Goyal has already conducted research on leveraging artificial intelligence tools for philanthropy. 

Samuel Zheng
Kiwanis Children’s Fund Scholarship
Also a student at Stockton University, Samuel Zheng majors in biology. He has served CKI at the club, division, district and international levels over three years, including as lieutenant governor of the Garden Division, district editor, Brick x Brick Committee member and international member experience chair. He says that his experience in CKI has inspired him to take on other leadership roles, including as co-vice president of the Stockton University Chemistry Society and historian for Delta Epislon Mu, a professional fraternity for students in healthcare fields. CKI also has helped him uncover a passion for teaching and mentorship, leading to roles as a teaching assistant for a physics class, a math and science tutor at Stockton University’s tutoring center, and an engagement leadership team member in the university’s Center of Community Engagement and Service Learning. In the latter role, Zheng helps underserved students ages 5-12 with their homework, forming strong bonds with some of the children. “Being in Circle K International has pushed me to serve directly in my communities,” he says, “and face issues head-on that many people might not be aware of.” 

Visit the Kiwanis Children’s Fund Scholarship Opportunities page for information about scholarships distributed by the Children’s Fund, including who to contact with questions and award notification dates.  

Kiwanis district launches scholarship program

Kiwanis district launches scholarship program

The initiative in Jamaica will cover select SLP members’ tuition. 

By Karen Tomlinson, member of the New Kingston Kiwanis Club, Jamaica 

The Kiwanis Eastern Canada and the Caribbean District (EC&C) and the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) in Kingston, Jamaica, are partnering on a historic J$9 million-plus initiative that will enable 10 outstanding students to receive a scholarship every academic year. All recipients will be current or former members of Service Leadership Program (SLP) clubs in the district, and each scholarship will cover the tuition for a two-year undergraduate associate degree program at UCC. 

The scholarships were announced at UCC in February during a district visit by 2024-25 Kiwanis International President Lee Kuan Yong. UCC Group Executive Chairman and Founder Winston Adams, UCC President Colin Gyles, and EC&C District Governor Pam Rodney-White also attended.  

The leaders emphasized that the event was more than just a scholarship launch. It also was a celebration of potential, achievement and the collective support of the academic community. 

“This partnership is a testament to our shared commitment to education and service,” says Gyles. “We are honored to collaborate with Kiwanis International and the EC&C District in fostering the growth and development of our youth, who are the catalysts for positive change in our societies.” 

How it works
To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must be current or former SLP members who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance and a commitment to community service. The scholarship is open to new students admitted to UCC’s undergraduate degree programs, including business administration, information technology, education, law, and health sciences. 

“Kiwanis has always been dedicated to serving the children of the world, and this scholarship is an extension of that commitment,” Rodney-White says. “We are thrilled to see these bright students receive the support they need to pursue higher education and become leaders in their communities.” 

The scholarship initiative is part of UCC’s ongoing efforts to make quality education accessible to all, regardless of financial constraints. By investing in young leaders, UCC and Kiwanis hope to create a ripple effect of positive impact across the Eastern Canada and the Caribbean District — and beyond.  

“We’re looking forward to welcoming these outstanding students to the UCC community,” Gyles says. “Their passion, dedication and service to others align perfectly with our institutional values.” 

How has your club or district supported Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs? Let us know at shareyourstory@kiwanis.org. 

Karen Tomlinson is the public relations and marketing coordinator for Kiwanis International’s Eastern Canada and the Caribbean District. 

Grants enhance CKI partnerships

Grants enhance CKI partnerships

Eleven Circle K International projects get support from Tomorrow Fund grants.

By Erin Chandler 

    Members of Circle K International (CKI) are forming vital partnerships to find creative solutions in college and university communities around the world. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Tomorrow Fund to help CKI clubs make the greatest possible positive impact as the next generation of servant leaders.  

    This February, the Children’s Fund awarded Tomorrow Fund grants to six CKI clubs and five districts that are teaming up with local organizations, schools and more to serve where they are needed most.  

    Baby Supplies for Families in Need
    Circle K International of Arizona State University, U.S.
    Arizona State University CKI’s support kits will help vulnerable members of the community — including those experiencing homelessness — cope with the stresses of new parenthood. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the club purchase blankets, diapers, wipes and other essential items. CKI members, prospective members and members of the Kiwanis Club of Tempe will come together to pack the supplies into 20-40 kits, which will be distributed to those in need through House of Refuge. 

    CKI Gives
    Circle K International of the University of the Philippines Los Baños
    Each year since 2017, the University of the Philippines Los Baños CKI creates a special Christmas for community children in need. Club members hold a celebration that includes games and storytelling, and they give kids Christmas gifts, hygiene kits and Noche Buena meal packages. A Tomorrow Fund grant will go toward the purchase of gifts; hygiene items such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, bandages and nail clippers; and Noche Buena food items, including rice, rice noodles, soy sauce, fruits and biscuits. 

    The Present and Ready Project
    Circle K International of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
    The University of Cincinnati CKI is taking on the problem of chronic absenteeism in Cincinnati Public Schools. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide backpacks filled with school supplies — including scissors, folders, writing supplies and art supplies — for families that might not be able to afford them. The club also will provide resources for parents on mental health, transportation and other factors that can contribute to frequent school absences. Club members will provide handmade letters of encouragement and bookmarks to accompany books donated by Queen City Book Bank. 

    Boys and Girls Club Craft Class
    Circle K International of the University of Texas at Dallas, U.S.
    The University of Texas at Dallas CKI will continue last year’s Tomorrow Fund-grant-awarded project, hosting art classes for kids at the local Boys and Girls Club. Grant funds will go toward supplies for crafts such as yarn flowers, slime, bracelets, origami, decorated journals and more. Club members hope to serve as mentors to the children and give them a healthy emotional outlet through art. 

    Empower Her: Bridging the Gap in Menstrual Health
    Circle K International of the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
    A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the University of the West Indies CKI purchase pads, menstrual cups and other menstrual hygiene products to reduce “period poverty” in the community. The supplies will go into menstrual kits for 200-plus students at UWI and Papine High School, plus permanent “period corners” that will be restocked regularly at both schools. Funds also will go toward resources and speakers for menstrual health education workshops, which will help eliminate myths and stigma around menstruation and provide information on lesser-known issues like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. 

    After School Soup Konnection
    Circle K International of the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
    The University of Windsor CKI will work with Feeding Windsor Essex on the After School Soup Konnection program, which provides meals to children in need every Friday after school. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide soup, granola bars, juice, applesauce, oatmeal and other nutritious foods — enough to provide food packs to over 150 kids every week throughout the school year. 

    Hygiene for Hope Program
    Circle K International Eastern Canada District
    The Eastern Canada District of CKI plans to expand a hygiene kit program — begun by the University of Windsor’s CKI club — across Ontario. A Tomorrow Fund grant will go toward enough shampoo, soap, hand sanitizer, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other essential hygiene items to assemble into 549 kits. Volunteers will distribute the kits to shelters across the province, where district leaders hope they will improve the health and dignity of people experiencing homelessness.  

    Making No-Sew Fleece Blankets at Georgia CKI District Convention
    Circle K International Georgia District, U.S.
    A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide enough fleece and scissors for members of the CKI Georgia District to make 50 no-sew blankets at their annual convention. The blankets will go to Simple Needs GA’s My Birthday Matters program, which provides toys, books and supplies to children celebrating birthdays while experiencing homelessness in Cobb County, Georgia. The blankets made at the convention will supply 10% of the program’s annual need. 

    Sojourn Shelter Survivors Self-Care Project
    Circle K International Illinois-Eastern Iowa District, U.S.
    Members of the CKI Illinois-Eastern Iowa District will spend part of their district convention making supply kits to support the dignity and recovery of survivors of domestic violence at Sojourn Shelter. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help purchase personal hygiene items like shampoo, conditioner and body wash; self-care items like nail polish and lip oil; notebooks and coloring books; and underwear for the shelter’s general supply. Altogether, the supplies will go into 30 kits for women, two for men and 20 for children. 

    New England CKI District Convention Meal Packing
    Circle K International New England District, U.S.
    A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the New England District of CKI purchase supplies needed for members to pack over 10,000 shelf-stable, nutritious meals at their annual convention. Through a collaboration with End Hunger New England, the meals will go to families in need, children’s backpack programs and food cupboards in vulnerable communities. District leaders hope that members who participate in the project will be inspired to learn and do more to combat food insecurity with their clubs. 

    Ronald McDonald House Charities Care Kits
    Circle K International Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District, U.S.
    A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District of CKI put together approximately 48 activity kits for children and families staying in Ronald McDonald Houses in Eastern Wisconsin. The kits will contain coloring books, fidget toys and other items to provide distraction or comfort to kids of all ages undergoing medical treatment. CKI members hope these kits will elevate the mental and emotional wellbeing of Ronald McDonald House families during difficult times.  

    How to get involved
    Does your Circle K International group have a project idea that could benefit from a Tomorrow Fund grant?Learn more about the grantand how to apply. If your Kiwanis club does not yet sponsor a CKI club,learn about the advantages of chartering one.