Anna Mikhailovich Wins Junior League Volunteer Service Award

Every year, the Junior League of Central Westchester (“JLCW”) presents a $2,500 scholarship to a local female high school senior who has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to community service. This year, the JLCW received the highest number of applicants for the award since its inception. The Junior League announced on Tuesday night that Anna Mikhailovich, a senior at The Scarsdale Alternative School, would receive the 2008 Volunteer Service Award.

Anna Mikhailovich began the commitment to her community at a young age. During elementary school, she began volunteering at the St. Bernard’s Center for Learning.  Throughout middle school, she tutored at the Westhab Family Shelter in Elmsford on a weekly basis and later, in seventh grade, began her relationship at the Coachman Center as homework helper and swim instructor.

As a tenth grader, she founded the Westhab Club at the Scarsdale High School and organized friends and student volunteers for the shelters. When the Westhab shelter in Elmsford closed, she moved her club to the Coachman Center and over the last two years has recruited over 30 schoolmates to become tutors.  As a result, Scarsdale High School now supplies the primary tutoring support for the Youth Services after-school program at the shelter of over 100 families, and raises thousands of dollars towards concerts, parties and lessons for teens and young children at the shelter.

Throughout her high school career, Anna has continued to divide her time and energy each week among numerous organizations, including the Coachman Family Shelter, The Lord’s Pantry, the Nantucket AIDS Network, and the youth group at her temple, Congregation Kol Ami.  Among her various responsibilities, Anna has packaged meals for residents homebound with AIDS, participated in Midnight Runs to deliver clothing to homeless shelters, and worked with Habitat for Humanity.  During her sophomore year Anna’s family, through the Red Cross and her temple, adopted two families who were displaced during Hurricane Katrina.

Her many other volunteer activities have an impressive global reach. During her internship with Children for Children in New York City, she accepted the challenge of helping to organize their annual MLK, Jr. service event and later the National & Global Youth Service Day.   Her summer after sophomore year was spent working at an orphanage in Mexico.  Her summer after junior year was spent tutoring children in English in India.

Heidi Andersen, president of the Junior League of Central Westchester, explained that “We are delighted to recognize Anna and her dedication to volunteering.  She not only possesses an impressive volunteer resume, but truly embraces the essence of giving to others as an integral part of her daily life.”

After a fall semester of study in London with New York University, this impressive young woman will attend Hamilton College in January 2009.

Contacts:  Jeanette Warner-Goldstein, Media Chair, JLCW               917- 692-5220

Lisa Tretler, Community Development Director, JLCW      914-472-7255