A West Lincoln senior was recognized at her graduation ceremony Friday night for receiving the Prudential Spirit of Community Award.

Katelyn Roberts, of Brookhaven, received the award after accumulating 243 service hours, mostly with King’s Daughters Medical Center and the Brookhaven Little Theatre.

Roberts said she applied for the award after finding it on a scholarship website.

Roberts

“I had forgotten I had even applied for it, and then the counselor called me into her office one day,” she said. “I thought it was a really great accomplishment. It made me feel proud to be recognized for all the work I’ve done in the community.”

The same day the counselor notified Roberts of her award, she was called back into the office and told she won the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Roberts also said she got a congratulatory letter from Gov. Phil Bryant.

Roberts began volunteering after her mother passed away. She said her aunt took time out to help her adjust to her loss.

“Really just seeing how compassionate she and others were in my time of need made me want to begin reaching out,” she said. “Even though it may not seem like it makes a difference, it feels good to know I’m giving back.

Roberts, the daughter of Shannon and Kala Roberts and the late Sarah Roberts, plans on attending Copiah-Lincoln Community College for a degree in nursing. Ultimately, Roberts hopes to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.