Poway high school junior wins Better Business Bureau scholarship

The San Diego Better Business Bureau (BBB) has announced that Poway resident Katie Anastas, a junior at Academy of Our Lady of Peace in North Park, has been awarded a $500 cash scholarship from the BBB after writing a 400-word essay on the importance of ethics and integrity in the community.

Anastas was one of five high school students honored at the BBB’s recent 2012 Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics award, which honored local companies for ethical business practices. The BBB said a total of 258 essays from students attending 87 different high schools in San Diego County were evaluated by the judges. Sycuan Casino was the presenting sponsor of this year’s BBB scholarship program.

At her school, Anastas is a member of the Peace Commission, which organizes service projects in the community. She plans a college education focusing on political science and business. Her essay discussed about the importance of good customer reviews appearing on Yelp, Angie’s List, Facebook and the BBB website.

The non-profit San Diego BBB, which opened in 1921, is San Diego’s largest county-wide business membership organization with 6,000 accredited businesses and charities. The BBB promotes business ethics through voluntary self‑regulation, consumer and business education, and helps consumers with free pre‑purchase information and consumer protection advice, including reliability reports on more than 45,000 local companies. Before buying decisions are made, consumers are encouraged to phone the BBB's free 24‑hour Consumer Helpline at (858) 496‑2131 or (800) 600‑7050, or visit the website at www.bbb.org, to obtain free information and a list of BBB accredited businesses in a particular type of industry.