Salisbury High School senior Emily Kiska recently was chosen to receive the Travelers Protective Association of America’s Altruism Award for her dedication to academics, extracurricular activities and also her peers and the community.

The TPA Altruism Award honors those with a selfless concern for the well-being of others, and the staff at Salisbury High School unanimously determined Kiska was the most shining example of altruism at SHS. Michael Anderson, a guidance counselor at SHS, spoke on Kiska’s behalf, saying, “Salisbury couldn’t be prouder to have Emily as our nominee for this award.”

Kiska has been a member of the student government advisory for four years where she served as the Miller Keystone Blood Center coordinator for SHS’s blood drives. Kiska achieved and surpassed donor goals which made her eligible for the Miller Keystone Blood Donor Recruitment Scholarship.

In addition to being a recognized member of student government, Kiska excels academically as a member of National Honor Society. She participated in the class advisory for two years and also spends her time volunteering for Best Buddies, which is a program created to assist disabled students with socialization. Kiska is also very actively involved in her church, First Presbyterian Church of Allentown and is also studying ballet at Coral’s Academy of Dance. Kiska plans to attend Wilkes University in the fall where she has been accepted into the nursing program.

Katrina Fritz, MA, BSN, RN was a guest speaker at the event and shared stories about her numerous years in the health industry as well as her personal journey through life and what she learned along the way.

Fritz thanked Kiska and her peers for their service and dedication to the community and for serving as an outstanding example for others to follow. Fritz reminded recipients to “Always be the best version of yourself and to accept that that version will change as you learn and grow in life.” She also cautioned the seniors to not let labels define or limit them on their journey and to find ways to use their talents and bright light to set themselves apart from others. Fritz offered well wishes and career advice for the recipients in their future endeavors.

The TPA Post L in the Lehigh Valley is a national nonprofit organization and the largest post of the Pennsylvania division. TPA also has a Post L Deaf and Near Deaf Trust Fund and they offer “Children Have an Identity” stickers for placement on child safety seats to facilitate child identification in the event of emergencies.