Our 2002 Sharon Heater Memorial Scholarship Winner

Our 2007 Sharon Heater Memorial Scholarship Winner!
In 2007, we awarded a $500 scholarship to Kelsey Broderick.

Here's a message from Mary Roberts, STC's marvelous scholarship coordinator:
May 31, 2007: "I just wanted to tell you how much fun it was presenting Kelsey with the STC scholarship certificate during last week's senior awards program at Mira Loma (see attached photos). She was also being honored for her scholar level (4.0+) grade point average, as a finalist in the National Merit Scholar Program, and as winner of the National Merit University of Chicago Scholarship. What a great bunch of kids!"

Kelsey Broderick (6'1")
Read her winning essay:

Kelsey Broderick - 6'1"

Graduated Mira Loma High School

Plans to attend Stanford

What Being Tall Means to Me

The first thing people notice about me is that I'm six foot one inches tall. I rarely ever go a day without someone telling me, "You are so tall!" My height can be both a blessing and a curse. Frequently in high school, I did not look on it as much of an advantage. Many of my friends are under five feet five inches tall, and sticking out is not always a desirable option in high school. Even seated in a classroom, I would often be the first one spotted for the questions no one wanted to answer. There are also always the disappointed looks that people give me after I tell tem, "No, I don't play basketball or volleyball." Add to this the fact that I can never, ever find jeans that are long enough.

However, I realize not only that I have accepted my height, but I have actually come to enjoy it. I like standing up tall in the courtroom during Mock Trial or Peer Court and intimidating the witnesses not only with my questions but also with the commanding presence my height gives me. One those rare moments when my drives don't slice into the trees, I love the natural power that my long arc adds to my golf swing. Whenever I want to stand out in a crowd, I don't have to try very hard, because I'm already almost a head taller than everyone else. And, as you can imagine, top shelves present no problem.

Perhaps the best example I can give of the pitfalls and benefits of being tall is to describe what happened to me during a pampers' rock climb at Camp Winthers last year. During the climb, while the campers were resting, the naturalist had me accompany her up to "split Rock." After pointing it out to me, she told me that my job was to straddle the split in the rock and help the kids jump across. I actually laughed when she said that, assuming she was joking. However, she had already turned to walk back down the path, yelling back, "Don't worry, you're tall enough. The first kid will be coming up in about five minutes!"

You'll have to imagine exactly what I was facing. Split Rock was about twenty feet high, eight feet wide at the top and split right down the middle. The chasm extended the entire length of the rock. The split was about three and a half feet across. I stood atop the rock, one foot on one side, one foot on the other, staring down into total blackness. And all because I was the tallest counselor. Sure, my legs were long enough to do the job, but they would break just as easily as short ones if I fell in.

As each camper reached the other side of the rock, however, thrilled at having made it across, I loved the feeling of being the one person who was able to assist the naturalist in providing a unique experience that the campers would never forget. So even though there are some moments when I'm not completely overjoyed with being tall, in the long run, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Congratulations to our amazing young winner!

If you have any comments regarding this web site, please contact Sacramento Tall Club's webmistress, Cindy R., at webmistress@sacramentotallclub.org.

Sacramento Tall Club: P.O. Box 515, Rancho Cordova, CA 95741
HOTLINE NUMBER for more info. = (916) 498-8877
STC web site: www.SacramentoTall Club.org	STC's e-mail: info@sacramentotallclub.org