Senior Trio Awarded Bene Foundation Scholarships
Much to their delight, three special Huntington High School seniors were awarded scholarships by the Kimberly Bene Foundation at last week’s senior academic awards night.
The seniors, Emily Bindrim, Bethany Smith and Elizabeth Mohr, all earn high marks from their teachers and are among the top members of the Class of 2010.
Ms. Bene, who graduated from Huntington in 1994, lived with cystic fibrosis for 27 years. She enjoyed many of her happiest days as an active and highly spirited high school student.
Helping to carry Ms. Bene and her family through many health crises was a set of skilled and sensitive nurses. So inspiring was this group of health professionals that the family created a foundation in Ms. Bene’s name to provide nursing scholarships to the next generation of “angels.”
“Nurses were an integral part of my daughter’s life,” said Christine Bene, Kimberly’s mother, who was on hand to present the three awards totaling $4,500. “They are angels who help the sick and aging. They are the ones who walk you through the most difficult times of your life. They must be caring and courageous.”
Ms. Bindrim was inspired as a little girl to be a nurse. This year she interned at Huntington Hospital. “I felt like a professional, dressed up in scrubs in a room full of nurses and doctors,” she said. “I felt like I was at home.” The opportunity made it clear to her that nursing would be her major at Lynchburg College.
Ms. Smith, who will attend SUNY College at Farmingdale, drew her inspiration from a friend’s death and an aunt’s illness. “She is thankful for the gifts she has been given and is compassionate towards the needs of others,” said a high school teacher. “Nursing is an exciting career because you never know what to expect,” Ms. Smith said. Her dream is to become a pediatric oncology nurse.
Ms. Mohr, who has dreamed of being a nurse since kindergarten, is also headed to SUNY College at Farmingdale’s nursing program. She volunteers at the Huntington Community First Aid Squad. Her mother is a nurse and her father volunteers as an EMT. An all-around compassionate person, Ms. Mohr has run blood drives and participated in food drives.
“The three recipients of this year’s scholarships have exhibited the qualities of strength and determination my daughter had,” Mrs. Bene said. “They will also bring the care and courage that is needed for this profession.”
At Huntington High School, Ms. Bene was chosen as one of the first Natural Helpers, a group of students selected by classmates and trained to provide effective intervention with others who seek out help in solving their problems.
Each year as the Bene family sorts through the scholarship applications they reflect anew on the qualities Kimberly displayed over the course of her life.
“The recipients must emulate her ideals,” Mrs. Bene said. “She approached life with a positive attitude and accepted everyday as a gift. Her enthusiasm was contagious. She realized that listening is the greatest advice and her motto was to help others. She always had a smile on her face and never forgot that the best medicine is laughter.”
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