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Kimberly Cross, a student at Baker College of Auburn Hills, is the recipient of the 2011 Dianne Addington Community Leadership Scholarship award. The $2,000 scholarship, funded by Genisys Credit Union, is in honor of their former CEO who retired in 2010. Addington served on many boards in the community throughout her career, including the Baker College of Auburn Hills board of regents.

“We are very pleased that Kimberly has won this award,” said Jeff Love, Baker College of Auburn Hills president. “In addition to a maintaining a solid scholastic record, she has a long history of serving her community, both as a volunteer and in a variety of leadership roles.”

Cross, a junior at Baker’s Auburn Hills campus, is working toward a bachelor’s degree in health services administration and is currently fulfilling a dream that began 30 years ago: to complete her college degree. She maintains a 3.49 GPA while continuing to be very active in community volunteer work. In 1999, Cross co-led her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. She also co-directed Sunniwood Girl Scout Day Camp for three years and coached her daughter’s softball team for six years. In recent years, Cross was a youth counselor for Clarkston Community Church, where she worked with a group of sixth grade girls until they graduated from high school in 2010. She has also been a member of the Church’s Advisory Council for the past six years. In addition, she helped start a 5K run in Clarkston called the April Fools 5K, which raised approximately $10,000 for the Clarkston Community Church’s mission program.

“Kimberly is a dedicated worker and a definite asset to our church and our ministry,” said Kevin Kuehne, Clarkston Community Church pastor. “She is very deserving of this scholarship.”

A Waterford resident, one of her long-term goals is to organize a safe house for the unfortunate victims caught in the web of human trafficking. Cross hopes to help them rebuild their lives so they have the opportunity to become the leaders of tomorrow.