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Past Winners

Brooke Anderson

Please join us in celebrating our 2021 McKenna Rae Johnson Memorial Scholarship winner, Brooke Anderson of Kearney. Brooke attends Kearney High School. She plans to major in Political Science, and will either be attending the University of Omaha or the University of Otago in New Zealand. Brooke was nominated by Robin Phipps. The nomination was also endorsed by Josh Arias. Brooke, you are a true Rae of Hope and we are honored to award you this $2500 scholarship.

Here is what Robin said about Brooke:
What a pleasure to nominate this remarkable young lady. From the moment that our paths crossed 6yrs. ago, I witnessed Brooke Anderson's character shining brightly! We were both involved in community service projects. Her work ethic, compassion towards others and responsibility stood out.

Brooke battled one of the worst tragedies of childhood, losing a sibling to an early death. This confident out going girl had her world spin upside down following her sister's suicide. Brooke was only 12 years old. The immediate effects of a sibling's death and the grief that follows are unbelievable, but the consequences can last for decades. Brooke searched for ways to release the increasing, painful emotions she battled.

Slowly Brooke began healing, her grades showed the challenges and potential, she regained her joyful, positive attitude and self-confidence. She pushes forward daily to show people they do not have to be defined by trauma. She told me those two years of grieving taught her that she had another opportunity to grow as a person, to learn about the world, life is short, and most importantly to choose each day to be positive and impact others. Brooke began to open up and share with peers about her depression. Multiple students sought her out and took comfort from her words and compassion. Brooke helped create and organize the Youth Mental Health Summit, an annual event reaching 100 teens. The Summit teaches students how to effectively deal with mental illness and how it relates to physical health, the value of counseling, ways to keep your brain healthy, how to help a friend, and available resources. Brooke's passion to Help Other People every day was evident as she became a blood donor and helped organize and conduct 5 blood drives in her sister, Erika's memory. She held two food drives for the Jubilee Center, helped build Habitat for Humanity Homes, wrapped Christmas gifts for the Goodfellows, cleaned up from the Nebraska floods, went on mission trips, and is active in her church youth group. Brooke used her leadership skills to help others by serving as a member of the Buffalo County Youth Advisory Board tackling projects addressing mental health, safety, tobacco, and drugs. She was also asked to attend the Nebraska Attorney General's Youth Advisory Conference. She is involved in numerous school activities, too.

Service to others opened Brooke's eyes to the countless needs around her, leaving her with a burning passion to help others instead of focusing inward on her own struggles. Brooke plans a career Internationally where she can help impoverished people and their circumstances. Please honor this resilient young woman who truly is a Rae of Hope!

Here is what Josh says about Brooke:
In the time I have known Brooke, I have always been incredibly impressed with her emotional maturity as well as her incredible ability to empathize with others and work well in a team. In 2017 the board set out to work hard on the mental health crisis in our community and in our society. Brooke went right to work and was an active member in all meetings. The YAB board decided to plan a youth mental health summit and Brooke was one of the main leaders of the work. She attended weekly planning meetings and helped plan all facets of the event. Thanks to the board's efforts we were able to train nearly 100 community youth about the basics of self-care and mental health in that first year and nearly 80 youth the following year. Brooke also helped plan our Youth Advisory Board movie night where the board helped put on "Hidden Figures" at the World Theatre. This event was the board's effort to share the message of diversity and inclusion in our community. Brooke was an active member of the planning of this event and worked diligently with her fellow board members to make sure the event was a success. During this past year, Brooke has continued to stay active in the efforts of the board and has attended virtual meetings to plan a community youth mural in our community. Additionally, Brooke helped in the creation of a youth video that would highlight positive messages in our community during the COVID-19 lockdown. Brooke has been a joy to mentor and works beside for these past 6 years. I am so excited to see what she does next in her life. Her passion to help others and serve is truly inspiring. I knew when a new member would join a meeting, that Brooke would make them feel at home. I feel sad to see her graduate and leave our board, but I am so grateful for the time, the friendship, the laughs, and the leadership she brought to our board. It is with obvious enthusiasm that I recommend Brooke Anderson for this award
 

Brooke Anderson
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Contact Us

email: mckennasraeofhope@gmail.com
phone: Todd Schirmer, 308.627.3033
address: P.O. Box 1833, Kearney, NE 68848

Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle

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