CORBIN – Corbin High School senior Marcus Kuhl was recognized Tuesday, May 7, as an “I Am UNITE” scholarship recipient.
This is the first year for the scholarships, valued at $1,500 each.
Kuhl was presented the scholarship by Mikkah Rogers, UNITE’s youth programs coordinator.
A total of 19 “I Am UNITE” scholarships were given this year by the UNITE Foundation, funded through private donations and proceeds from two National Rx Drug Abuse Summits.
To receive a scholarship and be named a UNITE Ambassador, students had to demonstrate commitment to their school’s UNITE Club or Camp UNITE, personal contributions to his or her school and community, exemplify UNITE’s goals by living a drug-free lifestyle, and write an essay.
This summer will be Kuhl’s fourth year volunteering with Camp UNITE – a free four-day residential leadership/adventure camp for middle school-aged youth.
“Camp UNITE is a humbling experience as I’ve come to realize that there are a lot of children younger than me that have gone through a lot worse than what I have,” Kuhl wrote in his essay. “Not only is this camp a learning experience for the campers, but it is also a learning experience for the counselors as well. Every day I live out what I have learned from Camp UNITE.”
The scholarship also comes with a desktop award naming the recipient a “UNITE Ambassador,” a reminder to keep inspiring others each day of their lives.
This school year there were 118 UNITE Clubs with more than 9,500 student members in 26 counties – the largest number of participants since the initiative began in 2005.
“Someone dies every 15 minutes of a drug-related overdose. Ensuring that every person in every community understands the dangers posed by prescription drugs, and what to do when a loved one struggles with an addiction, is one of UNITE’s top priorities,” Rogers said. “UNITE believes that prevention, particularly among our youth, is the best way to reduce drug use and its deadly consequences.”