Langham Creek Senior Earns TASB 'Student Voice' ScholarshipÂ
Langham Creek High School senior Nitya Kodali was among five students across Texas selected to receive a Student Voice Scholarship from the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and participate in the association’s Governance Camp, to be held March 1-4 in Galveston.
“The Student Voice Scholarship celebrates some of the most outstanding public school students and allows them to share their personal stories,” said Dan Troxell, TASB executive director. “This is a wonderful opportunity for these young people to express the role public education has played in their lives.”
The five recipients were chosen from more than 100 applicants. Scholarship winners were selected based on their individual stories, contributions to their community and their use of “student voice” to improve their schools.
The daughter of Indian immigrants, Kodali was crowned Miss Teen Telugu Universe in 2020 and has used her platform to help empower other Telugu-speaking women. During the pandemic, she founded the nonprofit Letters & Love to spread love and positivity around the world.
Since its launch, Letters & Love has grown to have global impact, reaching more than 2,000 volunteers in more than 40 countries. The organization has sent more than 50,000 letters of gratitude to healthcare workers, organized countless donation drives and worked with the community to donate personal protective equipment.
“I am beyond honored to be selected for the Student Voice Scholarship,” Kodali said. “I have been a CFISD student since pre-K, so it means a lot to be able to represent my district as a panelist. In these past 14 years in CFISD, I have grown so much as an individual and I am excited to share my story and experiences with school board trustees across Texas. I hope to continue making CFISD proud in all my future endeavors.”
Kodali also earned the 2022 Student Heroes Award by the State Board of Education, Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award and Hershey’s Heartwarming Action Award.
During the TASB Governance Camp, the five scholarship recipients will participate in the Student Voice Scholarship Panel, where each will share his or her unique public school journey and experience. The discussion takes place at the first general session and is regarded as one of the camp’s highlights as it offers school board trustees an opportunity to hear directly from students.
“When we listen to these students share their stories and experiences what continues to resonate is how collectively we have much more in common than we often realize,” said Paula Maddox Roalson, panel moderator and attorney at Walsh Gallegos Trevino Kyle & Robinson P.C., which sponsors the scholarships.
