By: Sophia Braida
Each quarter during the school year, the Rotary Club of Hawley will recognize a Volunteers in Paupack Spotlight Student based on his or her community and school volunteer activities. The student must be a senior and a Wallenpaupack Area High School Volunteers in Paupack club member. The student must attend Volunteers in Paupack meetings and club functions, display leadership skills throughout the school, and be in good academic standing. Hawley Rotary congratulates the 2026-2027, quarter one recipient, Kiana Madrigal for her commitment to both the local community and to Wallenpaupack Area High School. All four Hawley Rotary 2026-2027 Spotlight Students and their guests will be honored at a Hawley Rotary meeting in the spring of 2027.
Kiana Madrigal, a resident of Tafton and the daughter of Lisa and Jason Madrigal, has been an active and dedicated member of the Volunteers in Paupack program for the past four years.
Kiana’s dedication to community service extends beyond the school district. She volunteers with the Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission, assisting with events through face painting and crafts. She also regularly helps with other community events, including Winterfest, Hawley Hoedown, Salvation Army bell ringing, and local 5K runs. Additionally, she has helped with Easter and Halloween candy distribution in Hawley and has spent the past four years working sales tents and directing parking for runway shows at Cherry Ridge.
Within the Wallenpaupack Area School District, Kiana has contributed her time to numerous events and programs across all grade levels. She face paints at primary school Halloween and Christmas events, helps organize Innovation Night at the middle school, and serves as a student ambassador, guiding students and officials during Career and Technical Education (CTE) tours. She also assists with STEM nights, book fairs, school plays, and open houses for incoming freshmen. Her volunteer efforts include helping prepare and distribute holiday food pantry boxes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, as well as setting up Santa’s Workshop and wrapping gifts, an activity she has participated in for three years. Kiana has also served as a graduation Honor Guard for two years and represents the art community as a speaker at Fine Art Night.
Along with her volunteer work, Kiana has maintained high honors throughout high school. She has also earned second-place district tennis medals in two consecutive years.
Kiana currently serves as president of Volunteers in Paupack and co-president of the National Art Honor Society. She is also involved in National Honor Society, Art Club, tennis, Student Ambassadors, Paupack Press as a reporter and video technician, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Leadership and Diversity, and serves as manager of the boys’ tennis team.
Looking ahead, Kiana plans to attend West Virginia University, where she will major in International Affairs and minor in Political Science and continue to make a positive impact on everyone she interacts with.
