The Northern Columbus Kiwanis Club is excited to announce this year’s scholarship recipients: Elena Earley of Whetstone High School and Zoe Kellner from Worthington Kilbourne HS.
Each year, the Northern Kiwanis works diligently to raise funds for scholarships that support local students in their educational journeys. Through fundraisers such as the community Easter Egg Hunt and OSU football tickets raffle, we are able to offer financial assistance to students who exemplify exceptional academic achievement, community service, and leadership. We wish Elena and Zoe much success as they begin their college experience.
Congratulations to the 2026 Northern Kiwanis Scholarship recipients:
Elena Earley, Whetstone HS. 2026 scholarship winner
Elena Earley plans to attend The Ohio State University in the Nursing program.
Elena says, “Service and leadership have played critical roles in my development. Service means recognizing the needs of other and taking action with care. My commitment to service began early through volunteering with my family for Meals on Wheels. In high school I joined Key Club , volunteering at events like food drives and community dinners. As Key Club club secretary I help organize events and encourage involvement of the other club members. I have volunteered at the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resource Center, helping to update their online database and to organize the food pantry.
“At Whetstone HS I organized a school wide drive to collect essential hygiene products to provide to people in need. This demonstrated how my leadership can positively impact my community through service. I have also been in other leadership roes, such as vice president of Student Council, co-captain of the volleyball team, and secretary of the National Honor Society. In whatever role I serve, I always work to represent student voices and support my peers.
“I have learned the importance of service and leadership and I want to continue to serve and lead in the next chapters of my life. In my nursing career I will strive to be empathetic, advocate for my patients’ needs, ensure their voices are heard and prioritize their well-being. There is no greater feeling than serving and supporting others.”
Zoe Kellner plans to attend Wellesley College and major in Mathematics.
Zoe says, “After a six-year battle with cancer, my grandmother’s death left a profound impact on me. I did not want others to feel the same pain I experienced. My field hockey team’s annual Stick-lt-To-Cancer fundraiser in memory of Drew, a graduate of my high school who died from cancer, presented a perfect opportunity to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Through this leadership and service experience, I learned the importance of bringing people together and building community.
“ln previous years, the team raised money through a goal-a-thon, where each person was encouraged to ask at least twenty people to make donations. I felt uncomfortable asking my team members to do this because I knew people came from different economic backgrounds. I tried to be sensitive about the financial concerns facing my teammates and others. I didn’t want to force my teammates to seek donations from their friends and family. Instead I created a vision and led my team in hosting a community pancake breakfast as an alternate way to raise money. In this way, my teammates did not feel pressured to ask for donations and could also participate without personally contributing.
“Not everyone on my team has been touched by cancer like I have been. Knowing that stories could touch people’s hearts, I invited Drew’s mother to share her son’s story, connecting everyone to the cause. I invited everybody on the team to sign a poster honoring who they “play for”.
“As I stood on the field presenting a $12,000 check to the LLS, I reflected on my efforts to that made fundraiser successful. Through this experience, I was able to lead my teammates and adapt to individual concerns. I gained important skills by creating a vision while also taking those concerns into consideration. Throughout the fundraiser, I learned about the positive impact of storytelling and connecting people to a cause which builds meaningful community.
Scholarship Winners 2026
The Northern Columbus Kiwanis Club is excited to announce this year’s scholarship recipients: Elena Earley of Whetstone High School and Zoe Kellner from Worthington Kilbourne HS.
Each year, the Northern Kiwanis works diligently to raise funds for scholarships that support local students in their educational journeys. Through fundraisers such as the community Easter Egg Hunt and OSU football tickets raffle, we are able to offer financial assistance to students who exemplify exceptional academic achievement, community service, and leadership. We wish Elena and Zoe much success as they begin their college experience.
Congratulations to the 2026 Northern Kiwanis Scholarship recipients:
Elena Earley plans to attend The Ohio State University in the Nursing program.
Elena says, “Service and leadership have played critical roles in my development. Service means recognizing the needs of other and taking action with care. My commitment to service began early through volunteering with my family for Meals on Wheels. In high school I joined Key Club , volunteering at events like food drives and community dinners. As Key Club club secretary I help organize events and encourage involvement of the other club members. I have volunteered at the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resource Center, helping to update their online database and to organize the food pantry.
“At Whetstone HS I organized a school wide drive to collect essential hygiene products to provide to people in need. This demonstrated how my leadership can positively impact my community through service. I have also been in other leadership roes, such as vice president of Student Council, co-captain of the volleyball team, and secretary of the National Honor Society. In whatever role I serve, I always work to represent student voices and support my peers.
“I have learned the importance of service and leadership and I want to continue to serve and lead in the next chapters of my life. In my nursing career I will strive to be empathetic, advocate for my patients’ needs, ensure their voices are heard and prioritize their well-being. There is no greater feeling than serving and supporting others.”
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Zoe Kellner plans to attend Wellesley College and major in Mathematics.
Zoe says, “After a six-year battle with cancer, my grandmother’s death left a profound impact on me. I did not want others to feel the same pain I experienced. My field hockey team’s annual Stick-lt-To-Cancer fundraiser in memory of Drew, a graduate of my high school who died from cancer, presented a perfect opportunity to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Through this leadership and service experience, I learned the importance of bringing people together and building community.
“ln previous years, the team raised money through a goal-a-thon, where each person was encouraged to ask at least twenty people to make donations. I felt uncomfortable asking my team members to do this because I knew people came from different economic backgrounds. I tried to be sensitive about the financial concerns facing my teammates and others. I didn’t want to force my teammates to seek donations from their friends and family. Instead I created a vision and led my team in hosting a community pancake breakfast as an alternate way to raise money. In this way, my teammates did not feel pressured to ask for donations and could also participate without personally contributing.
“Not everyone on my team has been touched by cancer like I have been. Knowing that stories could touch people’s hearts, I invited Drew’s mother to share her son’s story, connecting everyone to the cause. I invited everybody on the team to sign a poster honoring who they “play for”.
“As I stood on the field presenting a $12,000 check to the LLS, I reflected on my efforts to that made fundraiser successful. Through this experience, I was able to lead my teammates and adapt to individual concerns. I gained important skills by creating a vision while also taking those concerns into consideration. Throughout the fundraiser, I learned about the positive impact of storytelling and connecting people to a cause which builds meaningful community.
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