Amanda Olivo. The Garden City Student Aid and Scholarship Fund is pleased to announce that Amanda Olivo has been selected as the 2007 recipient of the Fund's Julia Maloney Scholarship. Amanda is the tenth recipient of the award, which was made possible by a generous bequest of the late Julia Maloney, an elementary school teacher in Garden City for 47 years. The announcement of the award, in the amount of $3,000 per year for four years, was made at the annual Senior Awards Ceremony at the high school on June 4th. Selection for the Julia Maloney Scholarship is based on academic excellence, character, service to school and community, a personal interview and an essay describing a teacher who has had a strong positive influence on the student.

In addition to her outstanding academic record, Amanda has participated and led others in music, sports and extra-curricular activities. Her musical instrument is the flute and she has played in all of the school's ensemble groups including Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Pep Band. In Marching Band, she was flute section leader as a junior. As a senior, she moved up to be student director of the Marching Band. Amanda was a member of the Division and County 2005 champion track and field team and was herself division champion in the discus for 2006. Her extra-curtricular activities run from being president of Amnesty International to helping with fundraising for Tuesday's Children.

Amanda has done a tremendous amount of volunteer and community service through her church, the Garden City Community Church. She has taught Sunday School, participated in fundraisers and children's events for the Marty Lyons Foundation, the Interfaith Nutrition Network and the March of Dimes. On church-sponsored Mission trips, she has worked with Heifer International, assisted with rebuilding homes and child day care at a Mohawk Reservation in upstate New York, and worked on building and preserving nature trails. Her most recent mission trip was to Bayon LaBatre, Alabama, as part of ongoing relief efforts for the area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

In the fall, Amamda will be attending Columbia University.