06/08/2026
On behalf of the Northern California Community Blood Bank, we are proud to award our 2026 Community Impact Scholarships to Lucy Dieker of Arcata High School, Aurora Mitchell of Del Norte High School, and Eliana Sellars of St. Bernard’s Academy.
These outstanding students have demonstrated exceptional leadership, academic excellence, and a deep commitment to serving their communities. Through volunteerism, school involvement, and countless acts of service, they have each made a meaningful impact on the lives of others and exemplify the values this scholarship was created to recognize.
We are honored to support their future endeavors with a $1,000 scholarship and look forward to seeing all they accomplish as they continue their educational journeys and pursue their career goals.
No matter where life takes them, we hope they always remember that Humboldt is home. These young women are destined to do great things, and our community would be fortunate to one day welcome them back as leaders, professionals, and changemakers.
Please join us in congratulating Lucy, Aurora, and Eliana on this well-deserved achievement.
Aurora Mitchel
Aurora has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to helping others through a wide range of volunteer activities. She has assisted with children's hearing and vision clinics, vaccine clinics, healthcare education presentations, community fundraisers, and her high school's winter blood drive. She also serves as a certified youth soccer referee and volunteers as a peer mentor with a local Behavior Analysis company supporting children and adults with special needs.
In addition to her extensive community service, Aurora is deeply involved in school and extracurricular activities. She participates in the Medical Sciences Club, Interact Club, Asian American Club, and local youth soccer programs. As a four-year member of Del Norte High School's varsity soccer team and a three-year team captain, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership, commitment, and teamwork. She has also competed in track and field throughout high school and will continue her passion for soccer at the collegiate level as a member of the College of the Redwoods women's soccer team.
Academically, Aurora has excelled throughout her educational journey, maintaining a GPA of 4.0 or higher in both high school and dual-enrollment college courses. Aurora's future goals reflect her passion for healthcare and service. She is currently completing prerequisites for the nursing program at College of the Redwoods and plans to earn her Registered Nursing license before pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Her long-term aspirations include advancing her education through graduate nursing studies.
Aurora embodies the spirit of the Community Impact Scholarship through her dedication to improving the lives of others, her academic excellence, and her unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in her community. We are proud to recognize her achievements and support her as she pursues a career in nursing and continued service to others.
Lucy Dieker
Lucy has made a significant impact through her involvement in Interact Club, where she serves as Social Media Coordinator and Communications Officer. She played a key role in leading the “Coats for the Cold” initiative, partnering with over 18 schools and businesses to collect and distribute more than 1,600 new coats and 6,000 used coats to those in need, while also supporting ongoing service projects such as beach cleanups and Rotary activities.
She is also deeply involved in her church community, serving as President of the Young Women’s Class and working as a camp counselor for the past three years, where she mentors and supports younger students during weekly activities and summer camp programs.
Lucy has contributed to her school’s blood drives through promotional work, logistics, and donor support, and created an educational video to help first-time donors understand the donation process and recognize the importance of blood donation. Through her HESI health science experience, Lucy also visited the blood bank and gained firsthand insight into how blood is stored and handled, deepening her understanding of the critical importance and value of donated blood.
In addition to her service work, Lucy is actively engaged in multiple academic and leadership organizations, including National Honor Society, Medical Careers Club, Debate Club, Interact Club, and Economics Club. She currently serves as Associated Student Body Treasurer, reflecting her commitment to student leadership and service.
Her academic and extracurricular achievements include earning second place at the California Southern Financial Advisors Contest, where she and her team demonstrated perseverance, collaboration, and determination while securing funding and competing at a high level.
Lucy stated in her application, “To stay involved in my community, I remember the big picture. The motto of a club I am very active in (Interact) is ‘Service above Self.’ This mentality helps remind me to look outside myself and remain focused on others. As I keep this mindset, I have been able to stay involved and continue serving my community in meaningful ways.”
Lucy plans to attend a four-year university in California and pursue a degree in biology or a related science, with the long-term goal of becoming a Physician Assistant. Her dedication to service, leadership, and community impact make her a highly deserving recipient of this scholarship.
Eliana Sellars
Our Donor Recruiter, Sierra, first met Eliana while speaking at a Soroptimist of Humboldt Bay meeting, where Eliana was being recognized. Following that meeting, Eliana asked how she could help with her schools blood drive. That simple conversation grew in to a partnership with the S Club and led to their schools largest blood drive to date.
Beyond her work with blood donation, Eliana has organized and participated in numerous community service projects, including preparing holiday meals for hundreds of individuals through the Betty Chin Center, supporting coat drives, fundraising for the Sequoia Humane Society, providing gift baskets for children in the pediatric ward, and collecting food donations for Food for People. She is also active in student government, National Honor Society, Science Bowl, Book Club, and athletics.
Eliana’s passion for service is reflected in her own words: “First and foremost, I care about people and want to help the world be a better place for all of us. It's part of how I was raised, to care for those around you.” This philosophy is evident in every aspect of her leadership and community involvement.
A standout student-athlete, Eliana earned league MVP honors in soccer and achieved her lifelong goal of being recruited to play collegiate soccer. This fall, she will attend Pacific University, where she plans to study engineering or biology while continuing her soccer career. Her commitment to service, leadership, and improving the lives of others makes her an exceptionally deserving recipient of the Community Impact Scholarship.
