Kirsten Dively

Kirsten Dively has been a part of the high school Service Program since she was a freshman. She has accumulated more than 1,000 hours of service to her school district, church and community. Service is a family-inspired commitment of importance.

Kirsten’s volunteer work includes participation in many activities. During her freshman year of high school, she completed more than 126 hours of service. She was an active participant in Super Saturday for the Patriot News, Spring Musical decoration for the Dinner Theatre, World Strides raising money to combat hunger, inner-city house repair/painting/ cleaning in Pittsburgh. Kirsten also volunteered with GEMS, which is a program that mentored eighth grade girls to improve their self-respect and self-esteem. In addition, she participated in fundraising events that benefited the field hockey team and the Family Fund.

During her sophomore year, Kirsten continued to serve and donated more than 300 hours. She volunteered at an elementary and middle school girls’ basketball camp, refurbished poverty stricken homes in West Virginia, assisted the Student Council homecoming preparations and decorations and raised money through a cookie walk for a church mission trip. Kirsten also sold booklets at Bon Ton in Camp Hill to raise money for church mission trips, participated in famine relief fundraising for World Vision and was a second year mentor with the GEMS program.

Kirsten amassed more than 350 hours of service during her junior year. Her service activities included volunteering with girls basketball camp, her church’s vacation Bible School, Relay for Life, Cooking for Creation and she also went on a mission trip to New Orleans to help with clean-up efforts from Hurricane Katrina. In addition, Kirsten volunteered to escort new ninth grade parents on a high school tour, volunteered to fundraise for the high school Math Club, assisted the township Parks and Recreation Director in preparing for the annual township Pumpkin Fest and went on another mission trip to Pittsburgh.

Today, Kirsten is still volunteering as a senior in high school. She is actively volunteering as the fifth and sixth grade field hockey coach, a craft and group leader at Aldersgate and Wesley United Methodist vacation Bible schools, serving at a homeless shelter and she visits a juvenile detention center in Bronx, NY.

While she has been volunteering, Kirsten has been meeting a special need of serving as a youth role model. She provides the school district, township and county with human resources for nonprofit groups. Her service showcases her leadership skills and modeled service to adults as well as youth. Kirsten is aware of the importance of giving back for what she has so gratefully been given during her seventeen years.

Because of her service, Kirsten has been recognized in numerous ways. She has received the Tiffanie Salvadia Memorial Award in 2006-2007; she was a finalist in the 2007 Embarq/Sentinel Leaders of Tomorrow Awards. In addition, she also received the Outstanding Student Award from the West Shore Elks Lodge #2257 in 2008 and the Violet Richardson Award from the Harrisburg Soroptimist International Organization in 2008.