Student Recognized for Selflessness

Published January 26th, 2024 at 9:00 am

Annabella Beck may be a budding politician. Or she might end up a forensic scientist. Whatever the 18-year-old decides to do professionally, it’s likely to be something that serves the greater good. And in her spare time, she’ll be serving that same purpose volunteering in her community.

“She’s always been a giver,” says her mom, Skye DiVivi.

So it’s fitting that karma has done its thing and Annabella will get something in return having been selected as Cibola High School’s Selfless Senior for the Class of 2024. 

She’ll get a professionally done senior portrait; loads of recognition, and she’s eligible for a $1,000 scholarship she plans to use to pursue a career in forensic science at UNM.

Each year for the last 16 years, the Albuquerque Public Schools Education Foundation has recognized a senior at each APS high school as a Selfless Senior “singled out for their dedication to school and commitment to others,” according to a news release. Annabella met that criteria for her good grades; volunteerism through Key Club, Companion Animal Rescue and Medical Assistance (CARMA) and at community events; and her service to the Village as an unpaid intern for Village Councilor Rick Miera.

The Selfless Senior program is conducted In partnership with photographer Frank Frost. He’ll take the portraits of the 14 seniors, which will be displayed at all APS high schools, APS headquarters and on electronic billboards at the Albuquerque Sunport and other locations. The Selfless Seniors will also be recognized at a series of events next month culminating with a “Gold Bar” event at Sandia Resort & Casino on April 19.

“I’ll have to go to events and speak in front of people,” said Annabella during a recent interview before she began her work shift at Village Pizza, where she serves as a kitchen worker, sometimes host, and dishwasher. “Whatever they need me to do,” she said.

She gets paid for that and is using the money to save for college. But it’s that whatever-they-need-me-to-do attitude that helped her earn the recognition as a Selfless Senior.

Village connections

Reyna Chavez nominated Annabella for the award. She’s a family friend who as finance director for the Village of Corrales works with her mom, DeVivi, the assistant clerk.

“She always asks if she can do anything to help when she comes by the office,” Chavez said. “She’s just a great kid.”

Annabella stops by the office to see her mom and she’s sometimes there on business. She also serves as an unpaid intern to Councilor Rick Miera.

Miera, who spent 24 years as a state legislator, retiring as House Majority Leader in 2014, said he offered the internship because he feels the youth should have a voice.

“The first thing I did when I joined the Council was to say we have to have student involvement and young people’s ideas,” Miera said. “I’ll ask her, what do you think about this? What’s your opinion on that, and she’ll give it to me.”

She’ll also help him by doing research on a topic and provide him with the information, he said. But the internship is also a valuable experience for her. 

“At minimum, we want an intern to have an understanding of how government works,” he said, adding that he’ll be looking for another intern after Annabella graduates. “She’ll have insight into how legislation is made, how to make a motion and the interworkings of government. And I hope all those things will make her a better citizen as she gets to the point where she goes out into society.”

Come a long way

The nominating form asks for a description of the nominee’s activities in the areas of community activities, school-related activities, school leadership and peer activities, and a general question about why they are deserving of the award.

“Annabella puts others before herself,” Chavez wrote in response to the final question. “Not only does she focus on school, but she works and volunteers constantly. She is always the first to help people in need.”

It may be in her DNA. “Our whole family has always been one to volunteer,” DiVivi said. “So she’s seen that growing up.

“I’m really excited and proud of her. We’ve really come a long way.”

While the family had ties to Corrales, Annabella spent much of her childhood in northern California. They moved back to Corrales to be closer to DiVivi’s mother after her father passed away.

“She finished eighth grade at Taylor (Middle School) and then COVID hit,” DiVivi explained. “So she was out here in a strange place, she didn’t know anybody and all her friends were in California.”

Not one to sit still, Annabella stayed active and built a network of friends. She got involved in Key Club at Taylor and continued with it at Cibola. The group pitches in to volunteer at various events. She kept up good grades and became a member of the Honor Society.

“With her grades, she had options to go elsewhere but she wanted to stay close to home,” DiVivi said of her daughter’s decision to go to UNM. It also makes her mom happy because Annabella’s older brother Dewey decided to go back to school. “So both of them being at UNM will be cool.”

Highly recommended

Unfortunately, UNM doesn’t offer a degree in forensic science. But it does offer prerequisites if she decides to pursue a degree in that field.

Annabella says her interest in forensic science derives from watching television. She’s practically addicted to Forensic Files. “And Bones is cool, but a little less accurate,” she said. For flights of fancy, she likes the X-Files. 

She also enjoys playing video games, watching movies, gardening and cooking. She makes jewelry, some of which she gives away to worthy causes.

But Annabella doesn’t have a lot of free time. Aside from school, she works shifts at Village Pizza five days a week. On Wednesdays, one of her two days off, she volunteers at CARMA.

“I love to socialize cats,” she said.

Volunteering through National Honor Society and Key Club (associated with the Kiwanis Club), has involved food and clothes drives, tree plantings and marshalling special events.

One of her favorite volunteer activities was through Key Club. They would accompany less fortunate families on a $100 shopping spree at Walmart.

Annabella says she enjoys helping out others and pitching in for the community. The work is a reward in itself.

“Volunteering is a reward of its own because helping the community makes you feel good about yourself,” she said. “I definitely recommend it.”