Have A Heart Humane Society presented a $1,000 scholarship on May 27 to a very deserving senior from Tehachapi High School, Emma Barrett.

The requirements for our scholarship are similar in many ways to the scholarships from other local organizations in that the candidate must be an exemplary student, have outside interests and extracurricular activities, be held in high esteem by more than one faculty member and write an excellent essay in response to specific prompts ... all of which Emma capably did.

At Have a Heart Humane Society, we have an additional requirement of volunteer hours that can be completed in a variety of ways. Candidates can put in hours helping at our resale shop, Rescued Treasures, working at one of our fundraising events or helping at Adoption Days on Saturdays. Our volunteer hour requirement is currently set at a minimum of eight hours, but it may vary from year to year, as our board of directors decides.

Emma chose to help her mother as a "foster sister" to dogs in our foster program. She put in many extra hours helping adoptable dogs become better family members and transition into their new homes more smoothly when they are adopted. Emma's essay demonstrated her knowledge of the needs of domestic animals, from nutrition to physical comfort to psychological well-being, and we hope she will continue being an advocate for dogs and cats as her successful life continues to unfold.

Congratulations, Emma Barrett!