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Cloudland High School senior Makenzie Street was a special guest of the Carter County Democratic Women’s Club at their April meeting, in honor of her selection as the East Tennessee recipient of the Anna Belle Clement O’Brien Scholarship.

Three awards to graduating seniors are given each year by the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women, one for each of Tennessee’s Grand Divisions. Makenzie is the first winner from Carter County.

The daughter of Joel and Amber Street of Roan Mountain, Makenzie has achieved an exemplary academic record, taking multiple college classes as a dual enrollment student while still in high school. In fact, this May she will not only graduate from high school but also complete an associate degree from Northeast State Community College. She will then enroll at East Tennessee State University and pursue a degree in nursing, with a further goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.

As part of the application process for the scholarship, Makenzie wrote an essay on the importance of voting for Americans. Titled “Voting Is Vital,” this essay concludes that voting “is without a doubt an imperative task.” “Most significantly, voting gives every individual, regardless of gender, religion or race, the unique chance to make a difference for the betterment of our nation.”