CVSan Announces High School Scholarship Winners

Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) is pleased to announce that Alina Huang and Oliver Zhang are the winners of the 2020/21 CVSan Environmental Leader in Waste Reduction Scholarship! The graduates from Castro Valley High School (CVHS) will each receive a $1,000 scholarship award. Both winners were recognized with a certificate at CVSan’s Board meeting on May 4, 2021.

Alina Huang has demonstrated her commitment to environmental leadership with community work. She served as an intern with Earth Team where she worked with water, soil, and air quality data to research environmental concepts and led discussions during Earth Team meetings and events. Huang is also the founder and president of the Animal Rights Club at CVHS. As an intern with Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, a nonprofit organization bringing attention to the environmental impacts of farming, Huang was recognized with the Animal Welfare Award for demonstrating determination and helping to advance the welfare of animals through education, research, and leadership. Huang’s scholarship essay described what environmental stewardship means to her:

Environmental Stewardship to me is taking responsibility for the consequences that come from our actions and protecting the gifts that our home has given us. It is to show your efforts towards a greener future even with the smallest change.

Oliver Zhang has worked in the community to demonstrate his environmental leadership. He is the founder and president of Sunshine America Youth Organization where, since 2013, he has led 55 members on 47 Clean Hill Walks to pick up litter and restore 37,000 square feet of trails. As well, he has hosted environmental town halls and seminars. For his efforts with Sunshine America, Oliver has received the Gold Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for the last four years. Zhang also led an Air Quality and Finance awareness campaign and trained 25 leaders by organizing weekly financial education seminars and college financial planning/IRS tax workshops. Zhang’s scholarship essay explains what he believes environmental stewardship is:

As stewards we must seek to first preserve, and then restore our ailing planet so that future generations can likewise experience the true beauty of a fluttering sparrow in the frosty spring air, not just a lesser alternative. To protect Mother Nature, simply “good enough” is nowhere near enough.

This is the eighth year CVSan has offered the scholarship to high school seniors. CVSan proudly recognizes these students for their work to encourage waste reduction and environmental protection within their school and community. For more information, visit cvsan.org/StudentScholarship.