Congratulations Kari !!!

We are so proud of you.

Kari Leventopoulos has known she wants to be a doctor since she was five years old.

Now, a scholarship opportunity will help her chase that goal.

Leventopoulos, a rising senior at Penn-Trafford High School, won the Westmoreland County title for Distinguished Young Women — a national scholarship program for high school girls that provides developmental opportunities and financial aid for higher education.

Along with the award, Leventopoulos received a $250 cash scholarship. She also is eligible for scholarships from a variety of colleges and universities if she chooses to attend one of them. This was announced on Aug. 5 at the state competition, where Leventopoulos competed with seven other women for a $3,000 cash scholarship, a Chromebook laptop, the title “Distinguished Young Woman of Pennsylvania” and a spot at the national competition next June.

Leventopoulos placed second at the state competition, receiving a $1,000 cash scholarship. She also placed second in three of the competition categories, earning her an additional $750.

The county scholarship will help Leventopoulos pursue her goal of becoming a general family practitioner. It has been meaningful to compete for her home county, she said.

“I have participated in a couple scholarship competitions in the past in different areas of Pennsylvania, but I never got to represent somewhere that was my hometown,” said Leventopoulos, of Level Green. “Being able to have the title of the ‘Distinguished Young Woman of Westmoreland County’… it’s really nice to have that title and to be able to represent my hometown.”

Being the only Westmoreland registrant for the county competition, Leventopoulos was entered into the at-large program with five other women. The candidates that were deemed “proficient” by the judges were moved on to the state competition, said Emily DiMarco, the program’s Pennsylvania state chairperson.

Program participants are assessed through five categories — a private interview, responding to a self-expression question, showcasing a talent, performing a physical fitness routine and submitting proof of a strong academic record.

A member of Penn-Trafford High School’s show choir, marching band and indoor percussion team, Leventopoulos drew on her musical abilities for the talent portion of the competition, where she sang “What a Wonderful World.”

The judges also look for candidates who are “well-rounded,” a title that fits Leventopoulos perfectly, DiMarco said.

In addition to her classes and extracurricular commitments, Leventopoulos helps combat food insecurity through various volunteer opportunities. She has held numerous food drives benefiting the Westmoreland County Food Bank and created two freestanding food pantries — one located in White Oak, the other in Irwin.

Food insecurity awareness is important to Leventopoulos because of its widespread nature, she said.

“(Food insecurity) can happen to anyone. Really, it could be your neighbor. It could be your friend at school who’s dealing with not having enough food in their house,” Leventopoulos said. “It’s not just people experiencing homelessness who are also food insecure. It’s the elderly who have to choose between buying food and buying their medication. It’s single moms who are working two or three jobs but still don’t have enough money to make ends meet for their kids.”

Leventopoulos also wrote a book entitled “Henry is Hungry” to teach children about food insecurity. She sells the book on Amazon, donating all proceeds to organizations that feed the community, or donates copies to local schools, requesting that they host a food drive in exchange.

Leventopoulos is “not just somebody who participates in pageants,” said Jennifer Miller, CEO of the Westmoreland County Food Bank — “She actually believes in the cause.”

“She’s just a voice of advocacy for the hungry,” Miller said. “At a young age, that’s really admirable.”

The high school senior has also supported Tom’s Turkeys, a North Huntingdon nonprofit that creates food pantry boxes and drop-off locations for people to deliver food and donates gift cards for families in need to purchase Thanksgiving dinner.

Tom Hempel, founder of Tom’s Turkeys, admires Leventopoulos’ passion for helping the community.

“Kari has been a big part in this — not just (Tom’s Turkeys),” Hempel said. “I’ve said to her parents ‘She wears me out,’ because she’s just constantly going all the time … I admire her for her energy and everything she does for her community.”

Quincey Reese is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Quincey by email at qreese@triblive.com or via Twitter .