RPA student wins BBB scholarship contest, $5,000

Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific, a non-profit organization committed to advancing marketplace trust, announced winners in all corners of its seven-state region in the 2019 Students of Integrity Scholarship, including a Redmond Proficiency Academy student who took the top award.

Lily Barna of Lake Oswego, Oregon, received a $1,000 award for her written essay, which can be viewed here: https://bbb-scholarship.org/lily-barna/.

“Barna and all of the scholarship entrants embody what it means to be students of integrity,” said BBB NW+P President and CEO Tyler Andrew. “Collectively, they demonstrate that intelligence and integrity are alive and well in those who are preparing to enter the workforce. These winners represent the best and brightest of our future, and BBB is honored to help them with this next step.”

BBB offers its scholarship annually to recognize high school juniors and seniors who personify and communicate ethics in the real world, as demonstrated through community service, personal integrity and academic accomplishments.

Kennadi Peterson, of Redmond, received the top $5,000 award for her video essay about the BBB app (https://www.bbb.org/northwest-pacific/bbb-app/) and how it connects consumers with trustworthy businesses.

The BBB Foundation expanded the program to award seven scholarships this year, awarding $1,000 for a written essay by a student from each state in our region.

Alaska – Dominic Alioto’s essay on Beans Cafe and its spirit of volunteerism shines a light on the value of accredited charities. Hawaii – Stefani Sakamoto wrote about how the spirit of aloha permeates Tony Group Autoplex and its 41 years of accreditation. Idaho – Sarah Boyer’s winning essay focused on why BBB and trust are important to businesses and communities. Montana – Tristan Armstrong explained how a BBB-accredited business had helped him when he bought his very-first car. Oregon – Lily Barna’s inspiring essay focused on an accredited bakery and how transparency and trust made it stand out. Washington – Albert Lam’s essay was truly outstanding as he discussed BBB value to consumers, businesses and the community.

Owners of accredited businesses in each state judged the submissions, which were evaluated on four criteria: 1) how well it represents a BBB value or brand; 1) the creativity and effort involved; 3) the content of the essay; and 4) number of positive votes from the community at large.

To learn more about the BBB Foundation and its scholarship program, go to bbb.org/northwest-pacific. View the winning entries here: https://bbb-scholarship.org/2019-winners/

ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2017, people turned to BBB more than 160 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.2 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Northwest & Pacific, which serves more than 15 million consumers in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Hawaii and Western Wyoming.