In memory and appreciation of George Mooney, a tireless volunteer for Round Rock ISD Partners in Education (PIE) and the community, PIE created and the RRISD Education Foundation funds George Mooney Scholarships that are awarded each year to a graduating senior from every Round Rock ISD high school who has demonstrated outstanding community service and volunteerism.

The 2006 recipients certainly honor Mooney’s legacy. Each has volunteered hundreds of hours with a variety of organizations as well as in their schools. All have dedicated themselves to helping others even as they have faced significant family hardships, including financial difficulties and serious illnesses.

Winners of the $1,000 scholarships are Yasaswini Kumar, McNeil High School; Kasandra Kristine Graham, Round Rock High School; Marisvel Solis, Stony Point High School, and Jameka Nicole Taylor, Westwood High School.

On Thursday (April 20), members of the RRISD Education Foundation and the PIE Advisory Council, along with members of the Mooney family, honored the 2006 scholarship recipients at a reception, then presented them to the school board and superintendent for recognition at the RRISD Board of Trustees meeting.

Yasaswini Kumar, who plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin, moved to the United States when she was 11 years old. She began volunteering at Seton Northwest Hospital to show appreciation for the care her mother received after being diagnosed with cancer. For three years, she has spent part of her summers volunteering at the hospital, including working in the deli, assisting at the nurses’ station, selling popcorn, helping with admissions, and answering calls in the volunteer office. Kumar also spent part of a summer volunteering with Knowbility, an organization that assists people with disabilities, and has participated in beautification efforts at McNeil, assisted with an Emergency Medical Services conference, and helped nursing assistants at a local nursing home.

Kasandra Graham, the Round Rock High School scholarship recipient, plans to attend Texas A&M University. Acknowledging her mother's hard work as a single parent supporting her and her brother, Graham states that community service "has shown me that I am very fortunate to have what I have and that I should never take things for granted." One of her favorite volunteer experiences has been working at the Texas Baptist Children’s Home, where she has helped to organize Christmas gifts, put together Thanksgiving bags, and collected name-brand cereal for residents. Graham participates in her school’s PALS program, which provides teen mentors for students at elementary and middle schools. She has also volunteered with Relay for Life, Special Olympics, the Round Rock Volunteer Center, and other organizations.

As part of the People to People Student Ambassador Program, Marisvel Solis spent part of a summer helping to restore a zoo in Italy. But most of her volunteer efforts have been on behalf of Stony Point High School. As president of the school’s IT Academy for three years, she has visited RRISD middle schools to encourage participation in the academy. Solis has spent hours in the summer helping freshmen and other new students learn their way around the campus, and helping teachers prepare their classrooms for the first day of school. In addition, she has volunteered for two summers at the PIE school supplies distribution. Solis has remained committed to helping others, even as she and her family have dealt with her father’s illness and job loss. She plans to attend the University of Texas in the fall.