Northwood High senior is one of 10 OC students to earn Disneyland Resort Scholarships

A Northwood High School senior was recently surprised with some good news in his computer lab, learning he had earned a $7,500 scholarship from the Disneyland Resort.

Homin Kwark was in fact one of 10 Orange County students visited by a contingent of Disneyland Resort representatives, who announced the winners of the Disneyland Resort Scholarship Program on April 16. The awards are annually granted to seniors “who demonstrate excellence in volunteerism, exceptional leadership within their communities and academic merit,” according to the official news release.

That description would seem well-suited for Homin, who has logged more than 1,385 volunteer hours and founded a nonprofit organization called "Imagiscience," which inspires scientific interest among young people through student-led programs, campaigns, challenges and competitions.

“Volunteering empowers us as agents of change,” Homin said in a statement released through the scholarship program. “It drives individual creativity, community unification and global revolution as we identify solutions to worldly problems through the lens of innovation. … I hope to grow as a leader who has the vision and skills to bring about change, particularly in the field of engineering.”

The Disneyland Resort Scholarship Program has now awarded $425,000 in scholarships to local seniors since 2006, furthering opportunities for Orange County students to attend college or professional trade schools.

For those who can access YouTube, here's a video showing this year's surprise announcements.