ABC7 Star Scholar: Redwood City's Sarah Schisla

BELMONT, Calif. (KGO) -- This marks the 11th year ABC7 has celebrated student achievement with our [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/education/about-abc7-star-scholars/25733/" TARGET="" REL=""]Star Scholars program[/url]. ABC7 recognizes seven Bay Area high school seniors for their extraordinary achievements and awards each with a $1,000 scholarship toward his or her college education. Here's a look at a Peninsula student whose focus is to promote acceptance and help others feel included.[br /][br /]"We talked about the all gender bathroom option and we're trying to get that started next year," said Sarah Schisla.[br /][Ads /][br /]Carlmont High School's co-salutatorian prides herself on acceptance, inclusion and rallying her peers to make positive change.[br /][br /]This Redwood City teen and ABC7 Star Scholar will soon be studying chemical engineering at Stanford University.[br /][br /]"It's a degree that's very versatile," she said. "Right now I'm looking into biopharmaceutical research or searching for sustainable alternative energy."[br /][br /]Schisla says this major will help her do all kinds of things to help make the world a better place.[br /][br /]She's served as co-president of Carlmont's "Gender and Sexuality Alliance" and founded "The Harmony Project," a web-based network that promotes education and support among LGBT youth across the country.[br /][br /]"We live in the Bay Area and it's pretty accepting and I realized that a lot of these other people may be experiencing what I was experiencing when I would move to a new place and feel disenfranchised for a while."[br /][Ads /][br /]"She has her hand in so many projects, but they all have a bent toward some sort of social justice or helping other people on campus or in the community," said Andy Ramroth, GSA advisor and calculus/geometry teacher.[br /][br /]Like volunteering with disabled and developmentally challenged youth and campaigning for voice-donors to help those using speech devices sound more human than robotic.[br /][br /]"It is amazing to be recognized as an ABC7 Star Scholar," she said. Hopefully I'll find something that I love and something I'm passionate about and something that allows me to help people with my degree."[br /][br /][b]You can watch our ABC7 Star Scholar special on Saturday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m.[br /][br /]Do you know a change-maker in your community? They can apply for a $500 Summer of Service grant for their community project. Just go to [url HREF="http://ysa.org/grants/youth-grants/disney/[br /]" TARGET="" REL=""]ysa.org/beinspired.[/url][/b]