Frazier senior honored for volunteer work
From playing Taps at memorial services to babysitting young children during church services, Sarah Cowen’s certainly involved in a wide variety of community service projects. A senior at Frazier High School, Cowen has an almost insatiable appetite for volunteering to help others. In addition to the projects mentioned above, Cowen also holds story hours for children at the Brownsville Public Library, wrote letters the children from Santa, visited nursing homes, brought and delivered gifts to the women’s shelter, served as ranger at the Lou Henry Hoover Nature Sanctuary in West Virginia, sang for the Greater Uniontown Children’s Chorus, played trumpet for the Frazier High School Band in various parades, musicals and concerts and helped out the food bank and Goodwill as a member of the Girl Scouts.
“I have been associated with Sarah Cowen as her band director for the past six years, during which time she has developed into a fine young lady with many admirable qualities,’ said Rod Staggers, Frazier High School band director. “She budgets her time well, completes given tasks on time and does not have to be prodded into taking the initiative. Sarah has a pleasing personality and communicates well with adults.’
“Sarah is organized, an excellent student and has an excellent rapport with people of all ages,’ said Donna Clark, sponsor of the Frazier High School National Honor Society. “Her communication skills both written and verbal, are excellent and allow for her ability to be a leader in whatever activity that she becomes involved in.’
For all her volunteer work, Cowen has been selected to receive a Fayette County Community Service All-Star Award. She is among 10 local students being honored for putting forth an extra effort to make a difference in their communities. The students come from Fayette County’s seven high schools as well as the West Virginia Career Institute, the Laurel Business Institute and Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
The students were nominated on the basis of their grade-point average and community service. The students will receive a $500 check to help them with their college costs. The students will be honored at a breakfast at the 30 East Main restaurant in Uniontown on Thursday, May 17.
Members of the organizing committee for the event – Jes Hutson, John Evans, Bob Garrett, Leda Gismondi, Alyssa Trynock, Dave Meredith and Melanie Thomas – will select a captain, who will receive an extra $100.
Alyssa Trynock of Big Brothers/Big Sisters will be the master of ceremonies. Uniontown banker Ben Wright will be the guest speaker.
Sponsors for the program include the Herald-Standard, Jes Hutson, Dave and Linda Meredith, Shelly and Paul Songer, Community Foundation of Fayette County, National City Bank Foundation, Joe Hardy, Cherokee Fur and Recycling, Jimmy Gismondi, John Gismondi and Associates, National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 520, Jim Gismondi, Russ Blaho, Harry Brownfield, Dan Evans, John Evans, Elouise Eberly, First National Bank, Hartsek Catering, Leda Gismondi, Bill Hutson, Kisiel and Rudnik, PC, Laurel Business Institute, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus Alumni Society.
Ford Business Machines, Phil Michael, Debbie Seeger, Ron Sheba, Dicey Simon Basketball Officials, Slavik’s, George Smalley Co., Fayette Holdings Limited, Larry George, Bev Hurley, Joseph Nepa, Sepic Orthopedics, Joe Price, Alyssa Trynock, Upper Room, George Von Benko, Doug Wood, the Chestnut Ridge Rotary Club and Lizzy Gismondi.
Cowen, the daughter of Scott and Sue Cowen, is ranked sixth in her class and has a 3.85 grade-point average. She plans major in English education at Grove City College.
Cowen said she’s happiest when she’s helping others.
“I am involved in community service because it makes me happy to make other people happy,’ said Cowen. “I enjoy entertaining people, and community service allows me to sing and play my trumpet at various community events such as parades, light up nights and holiday services,’ said Cowen.
“Each year I spend hundreds of hours helping others through community service. I may not have seen as many movies or played as many video games as other people my age but as Albert Schweitzer said, I consider myself lucky to have been able to experience the joy and satisfaction of helping those in need and knowing that through my time and effort I can make a difference in people’s lives,’ she added.