2005 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Stephanie Ralston Khurana and Allison Guerra
So many accomplishments. Each so impressive. The enthusiastic young graduates came forward, one by one, to claim their honors at the Awards Presentation of St. Mary's High School during the third week in May, 2005. Each were rightfully praised for their exemplary work and accomplishments.

Stephanie Ralston Khurana and Rita Ralston attended the ceremony and were impressed, as well, with this year's recipient of the Jeffrey D. Ralston Memorial Scholarship, Allison McGee Guerra. Stephanie gave an eloquent speech, noting the leadership qualities, values and integrity so apparent in Allison's life. She remembered the same qualities in her brother Jeff's life, and noted how important these qualities are as we now remember him. She recognized Allison's many achievements and presented her the $1000 Jeffrey Ralston Memorial Scholarship.

Allison Guerra is a delightful, enthusiastic and caring student, focused on her goals and well aware of what it takes to achieve them. She has her sights on becoming a lawyer, planning to study international studies at one of four competitive, top level universities that have sent her acceptance letters. Honors and AP classes abound on her transcript, along with an excellent grade average and commendable class rank. She has been a consistent honors student and high achiever during her high school years, conscientious and competent. Allison, by her own admission, is driven to be the best she can be.

Allison is active in her high school community, taking part in the Teen Advocacy Program, providing activities for teens that are drug and alcohol free. She is a member of Key Club, involved in community service. During her senior year, she was chief editor of "Soundings," St Mary's literary magazine.

A very strong tennis player, playing all four years during high school, Allison was elected captain of her varsity tennis team during her sophomore year.

During her summers, she was involved in the summer camp of St. Michael's Community Center, the World of Wonder Summer Camp for grades K-6. She was a volunteer during the summer before her freshman year, and earned a position on the paid staff during the next two summers. On occasion, she became lead teacher for the K-1 class, planning the activities for this level, functioning with amazing competence and dependability, according to her administrator. The executive director of the Community Center gave Allison a glowing recommendation. Her recommendation noted, "She (Allison) was, in fact, a dream volunteer. In addition to quiet efficiency and effectiveness, she exhibited a delightful sense of humor and a real love for the children in her care…. She is a young woman who has a kind and sensitive heart… She is remarkable in that she also has a level of skill, competence, and self-direction that I have rarely seen in one so young."

During her high school years, Allison also worked. She was a part-time nanny for a family with two children during her freshman, sophomore and junior years and worked full time as their caregiver during the summer before her senior year. She worked in a local boutique and was hostess at a local restaurant during her senior year.

The achievements listed above would be impressive as they stand, however, they do not represent the whole story. Allison's father had a massive, debilitating stroke when she was in the eighth grade. He fought for many years to regain his speech, reading and writing skills. Allison's life was changed in many respects. As a family, they worked through many hardships which included moving to a new town and home.

After the move, Allison got to know others who had difficulties in life and had, as Allison noted in her application, "grown up in situations that at that point were unimaginable to me." She saw for the first time the hardships that people face in their lives. After her dad's stroke, she slowly began to realize how skewed her vision of happiness was. She realized that family and relationships were what she now valued the most. Material possessions were no longer the focus they had been and her value system had changed.

Speaking of her father's stroke, Allison concluded, "In many ways, I believe that my whole family benefited from this experience because we all became more tolerant and less interested in just ourselves." And she also noted, "Although I do not want anyone to experience a serious illnesses, I do feel in the case of my family, it was a blessing in disguise. My dad was able to fully recover and we have all become people of more substance and less materialism because of it."

As we all know, the difficulties we are asked to face in life sometimes seem to be intolerable. How does a family survive after their support system is robbed of them, and disability is put in its place? Dealing with these hardships taught Allison what was important in life and enabled her to discover her inner strengths. Allison learned some very important life lessons. Values became apparent in her life, values regarding the importance of family and relationships, the same values that were important in Jeff Ralston's life as well.

The confidence that Allison now has in her ability to achieve and her fierce determination to meet her goals were gained by standing up to and facing her many hardships. She has developed a quiet inner strength. She is a remarkable person and a fine recipient of the Jeffrey Ralston Memorial Scholarship for 2005. She has won our admiration as well.


Stephanie Ralston Khurana, Rita Ralston, Allison Guerra, Gail Guerra