Homewood resident receives scholarship from Hoover chamber

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The Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce today awarded college scholarships to four students from Homewood, Hoover and Spain Park high schools.

The chamber gave out a $5,000 scholarship to Hoover High School senior Emilee Turner in honor of Bill and Gail Powell. Bill Powell was the chamber’s executive director for 22 years before retiring at the end of 2017, and he and his wife contribute $1,000 toward this scholarship each year.

The chamber also gave out three $4,000 scholarships to Homewood High’s Peyton Murrill, Spain Park High’s Isabella Olvera and Hoover High’s Chinonye Mbanugo.

Scholarship applications were open to employees of chamber members or employees of the city of Hoover, or their children. The winners were chosen based on academic achievement, financial need and contributions to the community, and they were honored Thursday at the chamber’s May luncheon at the Inverness Country Club.

Here’s a bit more about each of the recipients, according to information from the chamber:

EMILEE TURNER

Turner, who lives in Bluff Park, plans to attend Auburn University with a global studies major and a minor in either event planning and/or marketing.

She eventually hopes to work for a nonprofit and make an impact in the community by addressing social issues and helping underserved communities.

At Hoover High, she has been in the Health Sciences Academy for four years, a member of Health Occupation Students of America and an ambassador for the Riverchase Career Connection Center.

She also has been a member of the Hoover Juniorettes and Hoover Belles community service clubs and been on the student leadership team at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, where she also sang in the youth choir and went on mission trips to Miami and Kansas City.

She has a 3.7 GPA and was inducted into the National Honor Society.

PEYTON MURRILL

Murrill, who lives in Homewood, plans to attend Auburn University in the Honors College and major in civil engineering.

He wants to help cities adapt to the effects of climate change. At Homewood High, he has been in the Patriot Pride student ambassador program, a saxophone section leader for the marching band, a member of the jazz band and math team.

Outside of school, he has been on the youth leadership team at All Saints Episcopal Church, in the Homewood Soccer Club and has done volunteer work for the Homewood Middle School band camp, Angel Tree program for children of inmates, Vacation Bible School, Family Promise homeless ministry and Meals on Wheels.

He has a 4.2 GPA, made a 35 on the ACT college entrance test, is in the top 10% of his class and is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta math honor society.

CHINONYE MBANUGO

Mbanugo, who live in Lake Cyrus, plans to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, study chemical engineering and use that as bridge into medicine.

At Hoover High, she has been a member of the Engineering Academy, leader on the robotics team, Junior Class Officer, two-time individual tennis state champion and member of Outstanding Women Leaders in STEM, Student Diversity Council and Hoover Student Board.

She also has done unpaid internships with the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce and UAB Center for Community Outreach Development and volunteer work at the Birmingham Zoo and with the Food for our Journey program, which prepares food packages for people in need.

She has a 4.1 GPA and 33 on the ACT and has been inducted into the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta math honor society and National Latin Honor Society.

ISABELLA OLVERA

Olvera, who lives in the Loch Ridge community and is the first-generation daughter of immigrants, plans to attend the University of Alabama and be a part of the first generation of college graduates in her family.

She wants to obtain a master’s degree in athletic training and a doctorate in physical therapy, eventually hoping to work for another physical therapist for a couple of years before starting her own practice in Hoover.

At Spain Park, she has been a member of the Health Science Academy and Business Academy, Health Occupation Students of America, DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America), Gay Straight Alliance and Got Your Back organization.

She also has had athletic training internships for three years. Olvera has achieved a 3.34 GPA.