Leadership Through Service

Junior Barbara Sylvester Earns Two Kiwanis

Letterman+jacket+on+and+sunglasses+on+her+head%2C++junior+Barbra+Sylvester+smiles+for+her+first+day+of+junior+year.+Barbra+has+dedicated+most+of+her+time+to+Key+Club+for+the+past+two+years+and+has+recently+earned+recognition+for+her+efforts.+The+main+idea+of+Key+Club+is+volunteering%2C+Sylvester+said.+They+provide+service+opportunities+and+give+members+the+chance+to+help+give+back+to+the+community.

Courtesy of Barbara Sylvester

Letterman jacket on and sunglasses on her head, junior Barbra Sylvester smiles for her first day of junior year. Barbra has dedicated most of her time to Key Club for the past two years and has recently earned recognition for her efforts. “The main idea of Key Club is volunteering,” Sylvester said. “They provide service opportunities and give members the chance to help give back to the community.”

Rachana Kommineni, Reporter

Recently, junior Key Club webmaster Barbara Sylvester was granted two Kiwanis, or Key Club Awards: The G. Harold Martin Fellowship Award and the Distinguished Website Award. For The G. Harold Martin Fellowship Award, participants were asked to write an essay about how they believe Key Club will look in the future and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Sylvester received an email during class from John Cano, lieutenant governor of the Texas-Oklahoma district ) of Kiwanis International, establishing her as the winner.

Cano wanted her to speak at the next district council meeting which occurred on April 24 in which she read her essay to the council members, and talked a little bit about her experience in Key Club. Sylvester said it was very interesting to sit through and listen to their meeting to learn how things are run in our local Kiwanis division.

“I mainly learned that one, communication is key, so we should always be communicating with the officers and members,” Sylvester said. “I also learned how valuable it is to try and interact with other school’s Key Clubs and how important it is to encourage our members to try and get out and volunteer more like one big group.”

The Distinguished Website Award is for having the most creative, informative and functional website. She found out that she got the award while attending LEDcon, which is the Key Club district convention that commemorates all of the Key Clubs in our district for their hard work and dedication.

“For the G. Harold Martin Fellowship Award, I honestly did not expect to win that one,” Sylvester said. “Either way, I am so honored to have won this award, and it really means a lot to me. The distinguished website award I was really hoping to receive, just because I spent so long working on perfecting the website and getting it up to the Key Club district standards.”

Amy Durden is the sponsor of the Key Club. She said that Sylvester went above and beyond and has done a phenomenal job with earning the Kiwanis.

“She is a talented web designer and keeps all members informed in these challenging times with various technology means including Remind, google classroom and the fantastic website,” Durden said. “I am so proud to have Barbara as our webmaster, she has set the bar amazingly high.”

During her involvement in Key Club, Sylvester said she has enjoyed every moment of it. She said she loves the remarkable service opportunities, the valuable lessons she has been able to learn as a leader, and the people in Key Club.

“Through Key Club, I have met so many amazing people, which has just been so fun,” Sylvester said. “I also really like the relationships I have with the other officers because we all just work so well together.”