Kiwanis Club

Harker Heights Student Named National Merit Semifinalist

Killeen ISD is proud to announce that Grace Koh of Harker Heights High School has qualified as a Semifinalist in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. Of the approximately 1.5 million students who enter the National Merit Scholarship Program each year, only 16,000 high school seniors are named as semifinalists.

Koh entered the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking a 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists makes up less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.

Koh will have the opportunity to continue in the competition toward one of 7,500 National Merit Scholarships that will be announced in the spring of 2022. To become a Finalist, Koh will work with her counselor at Harker Heights High School to submit a detailed scholarship application, which will contain an endorsement by a campus official, an essay, and her academic record, to include participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

Merit Scholar winners are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Grace is the Secretary of the Harker Heights HS Key Club.

We could not be prouder of our Harker Heights High School Key Club. They have been active in their school and community the entire school. Here are some of the projects they have been doing this Spring Semester

Valentines Dance in a Bag packing for the Activities Center – The Key Club organized their members and the Interact Club to help prepare these fun kits for families!

Spring Break food drive for the Killeen ISD HARP – The Key Club headed up this food drive to provide food and funds for those students who had little to eat during Spring Break.

Readying the New Community Garden at Kern Park for the Activities Center and Parks and Recreation, mulching tees at kern Park – For the first time the city of Harker Heights is offering a Community Garden in Kern Park. Individuals and families my rent small plots in order to grow their own food. The Activities Center will provide educational sessions and videos regarding planting, mulching, and more!

Fun Day in the Park – assist with Activities Center Pop Up Park activities area – This encouraged families to run and play together as they enjoyed the wonderful outdoors at Carl Levin Park.

Brain Break filming for the Stewart C. Meyer Harker Heights Public Library – These short “Brain Breaks” share music, music, and literacy elements to help children who may be home. They are made available on Facebook, but they can be viewed at anytime that kids need a break or a perk up from their regular activities.

Filming guest reader spots for the Stewart C. Meyer Harker Heights Public Library -- These short guest reading videos share rhyme, rhythm, narrative skills, vocabulary, and a love of literacy with families who view them on Facebook.

The Key Club of HHHS is sponsoring a Food Drive to Feed the Families of the Harker Heights Community. Donations may be brought to the front office for those in the community and students may bring their donations to the CIS Room or Coach Franklin's class / Room 2205!

Donations must be non-perishable items, canned goods, rice, beans, snacks, etc. Cash donations are accepted at the cashier's office in the front of the school! Thanks for all of your help! Coach Franklin.  

The Harker Heights High School Key Club has been very busy! Not only has the club worked with other High School Clubs on fundraisers and drives, they have also headed up several projects!

First, the Key Club worked with the Stewart C. Meyer Harker Heights Public Library and Harker Heights Activities Center to provide community engagement during October 2020. The club packed bags of candies to be distributed at 7 locations around Harker Heights, TX on Halloween. In an attempt to encourage safe “trick-or-treating” staff members dressed up and invited the community to drive-through locations where the bags would be handed out. The Club even packed doggie and kitty treats to be handed out at the Pet Adoption Center. To provide much needed fun and levity, the Key Club also decorated pumpkins to be put on display in the Library and on the Library’s facebook.

Second, the Key Club developed a “Brain Break” program for elementary school aged kids. Acknowledging the difficulties of education both in-schools and at-home, the club designed virtual “breaks” in which they led kids in rhymes, movement, and music minutes. These breaks were posted each Monday on the Stewart C. Meyer Harker Heights Public Library facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/harkerheightspubliclibrary/ and in a “Key Club Brain Break” YouTube playlist at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moKPnsoIlW4&list=PLqnhisrCD0tdJ6a16wQnAoB-5DKnrp3YP. The short programs encourage children to take moments for fun in their educational days.

Third, the Key Club organized a “Hot Chocolate Kits” stuffing event for the City of Harker Heights “Santa in the Park” and “Farmers Market” events. Considering the need for increased precautions due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the club worked with the City to provide fun, take home hot chocolate kits for families attending the events! Because so many kits were needed, the Key Club asked other High School Clubs to help out as well.

Fourth, the Key Club again organized a “Dance in a Bag” program. The City of Harker Heights generally hosts a family Valentine’s Dance. Even though large group programs cannot be safely provided at this time, the Key Club worked with the Activities Center to put together treat bags for families who want to host their own events. The Key Club members will also film themselves dressed up and dancing to be posted around Valentine’s Day.

Fifth, the Key Club recognized a need to provide food for individuals served by the Killeen ISD program for support of homeless children and families. The Club has organized a Spring Break food drive and hopes to gather staples and supplies to help feed those in need.

Sincerely,

Lisa Youngblood