Palm Springs student receives national recognition for philanthropic efforts

Ava Jewell Katrenich, 17, a senior at Palm Springs High School, has been honored for her superior academic and philanthropic achievements by The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), which recognizes top students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment.

"We are proud to provide lifetime membership to young scholars to support their growth and development," said NSHSS Co-founder and President James W. Lewis via press release. "We help students like Ava build on their academic success by connecting them with learning experiences and resources to help prepare them for college and meaningful careers."

While Ava was thrilled to be recognized ("This is such an honor. I'm really excited," she says), her mother, Rhonda, admits she has no idea how NSHSS found her or who submitted her name for consideration.

"I got something in the mail that said she was nominated and recognized for her superior academic achievement," Rhonda says. "They asked, 'Do you accept this?' And I said, 'Yes.' The organization is now sending me information on how she can apply for different scholarships."

Rhonda says the society notified her that Ava had been accepted to UC Berkeley — which she did not apply to — and invited her to come next month to receive an award and take a tour of the school. "I was like, 'Oh, wow. She hasn't even sent out one application yet.'"

A member of the class of 2025, Ava is currently one of the captains of the varsity dance team. She has been dancing for more than 15 years and plans to pursue the art in college and hopefully turn her passion into a career. She has also been in the advanced film and digital media arts class for the past three years and will be pursuing her fourth year of Spanish and earning her seal of biliteracy. She tackles both AP and honors classes as well as dual-enrollment concurrent college classes.

The busy teenager also has three dogs and loves country music.

As for community involvement, Ava and Rhonda began volunteering with the National Charity League when Ava was in seventh grade. The local chapter of the mother-daughter program works with a variety of nonprofits here in the desert. To date, Ava and her mother have put in more than 1,000 hours of community service and philanthropy hours.

"We work with Well in the Desert," Rhonda says. "We play bingo with the residents. Our girls go and get the patients from their rooms and bring them into the dining hall and then take them back to their room. During the game, the girls call the numbers and we provide them with prizes."

Other organizations the Katreniches have volunteered for include Guide Dogs of the Desert, Palm Springs Unified School District, the Palm Springs Library, Angel View, the Palm Canyon Theatre, Hanson House and the local Red Cross.

"Among my favorite projects were the military baby shower when we made baskets and presented them to military wives," Ava says. "And for Operation Gratitude and Project Sleep Tight, we made pillowcases so (the clients) had something to sleep on."

Ava says helping others is just a natural extension of her scholastic work. "It's very important to me to give back to the community." she says, "Being in the National Charity League, we learn so much, and we grow as young adults. And it always feels good to help others.

"Just learning all of this and growing and understanding the value of philanthropy has shown me really great things," she says. "I feel so fortunate to be able to give back in these ways. It's been an amazing experience."

About the National Society of High School Scholars

Founded in 2002 by Claes Nobel, a member of the Nobel Prize family, and James Lewis, the National Society of High School Scholars is, according to its website, "dedicated to supporting the academic advancement of young individuals as they navigate the transition from high school to college and career. The society has established strong partnerships with esteemed institutions such as the CIA, (the) U.S. Army, and UC Berkeley."

Learn more at nshss.org .

As philanthropy editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and locals who give back, like his beloved rescue dog Ernie Banks, who volunteers at the local cancer center . Reach him at winston.gieseke@desertsun.com .

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs student receives national recognition for philanthropic efforts