Community News
Seton Catholic Preparatory’s Scarlett Clegg earns 2025 Service Project Award
Clegg’s project received 70 gifts going to the less fortunate during Christmastime
By Seton Catholic Preparatory
1.5 minute read • January 23, 2025
Community News
Seton Catholic Preparatory’s Scarlett Clegg earns 2025 Service Project Award
Clegg’s project received 70 gifts going to the less fortunate during Christmastime
By Seton Catholic Preparatory
1.5 minute read • January 23, 2025
Seton Catholic freshman Scarlett Clegg holds up the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project Award. Photograph by Seton Catholic Preparatory.
Seton Catholic freshman Scarlett Clegg decided to bring a longstanding parish service tradition to the Sentinel Campus for 2024.
Little did she know the impact it would have.
Clegg was recently named the third place winner of the Diocese of Phoenix’s 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project Award for her efforts bringing the Angel Tree Service Project to Seton Catholic.
“I feel proud and honestly, when I received the email that I had won I didn’t respond for two days because I was so excited,” Clegg said. “I really didn’t think I was going to win.”
Clegg and her family have organized an Angel Tree Drive at her home parish since she was young and she took over handling the drive from her parents recently.
And upon a visit during her PASS Day to Sunshine Acres in Mesa earlier in the fall, she was inspired to do the same through Seton Catholic.
With the little encouragement from her friends and some help from Mr. Penate, Seton Catholic’s Activities and Campus Ministry Coordinator, Clegg set out Angel Trees across campus, wrote out & placed the tags with gifts for the children in need on the trees and put out collection bins for when the tags were filled.
In total, Clegg’s project received 70 gifts going to the less fortunate during Christmastime, a number that Clegg was impressed with in the first year of doing the drive at Seton Catholic.
“I wanted to give them [the children at Sunshine Acres] Christmas. I really wanted to give that joy and do my part during Christmas.
When I told my friends my idea, they were like 'everyone is going to support it.'”
Scarlett Clegg
Seton Catholic freshman
“I wanted to give them [the children at Sunshine Acres] Christmas. I really wanted to give that joy and do my part during Christmas.
When I told my friends my idea, they were like 'everyone is going to support it.'”
Scarlett Clegg
Seton Catholic freshman
Clegg’s efforts were submitted to the Diocese of Phoenix, where she earned the third place MLK Service Project award and was honored at the MLK Prayer Breakfast along with the other recipients on January 18th.
"I am proud to recognize Scarlett Clegg for her exceptional dedication to serving those in need," said Terri Kimble, President & CEO of the Chandler Chamber. "Her selflessness and compassion during the holiday season embodies the true spirit of community - what Chandler is all about - and it’s young leaders like her who make a lasting impact."
Clegg was grateful to have seen her hard work honored, but also grateful to the Seton Catholic family for getting behind her project to help those in need.
“Without this community, with out Mr. Penate’s help, we wouldn’t have gotten as much support as we did,” Clegg said. •••
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