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Each year, the Paynesville Lions Club recognizes eight seniors at Paynesville Area High School for their volunteer work, both at school and in the community.

Receiving the award, said Andrie, was very gratifying. "Service is something I do without expecting recognition. That's the nature of it," she explained, "so receiving some is quite pleasing."

Schreifels said he was surprised and honored to receive the award.

Volunteering is important, said Schreifels, "because it's giving back to the community and/or the school. It really makes me feel good about myself that I've done something worthwhile and other people benefit from it."

Seniors Pere Schreifels and Melissa Andrie were chosen for the Lions Service Award in March. The Paynesville Lions recognize eight seniors at PAHS each year for their community service and volunteer work.

"I have been very blessed, and my faith has made me aware that I should take all opportunities to share with others," said Andrie about volunteering. "Plus, once I started, I had so much fun that it is natural to continue."

Schreifels, the son of Sandy and Randy Spanier and Bryan and Glory Schreifels, is a peer mentor for an elementary school student, an assistant to the middle school speech team, and a student aide at the high school. He also plays in the band and jazz band, is a captain of the speech team and the one-act play, performs in drama productions, belongs to the National Honor Society, the Letterwinners Club, and student council; and is on the yearbook staff.

At St. Louis Catholic Church, he teaches third grade religion.

His favorite service memory is playing on the elementary playground with the student he mentored. "All of the other kids would get jealous that he got to hang out with an older kid," he explained. "I liked that he got to have that feeling, that everyone wanted to be like that."

Next year, he plans to attend the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Andrie, the daughter of DuDonne and Jim Andrie, is a peer helper, a peer tutor, and a student aide at the high school. She is president of the PAHS S.T.A.R. Chapter (Students Talking About Respect) and the vice president of its SADD Chapter (Students Against Destructive Decisions). She also belongs to the National Honor Society and the Letterwinners Club, plays softball, plays in the band and jazz band, and is a finalist in the 2004 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing in the top 16,000 among more than 1.3 million students who took the PSAT test as juniors.

At St. Louis Catholic Church, Andrie is a preschool Sunday School teacher, organizes Kids Night Out programs, directs the youth choir, organizes Bible studies, performs music, serves as a eucharist minister, and has taken mission trips to St. Cloud.

Her favorite service memory is working at a battered women's shelter in St. Cloud. "At a talent show we hosted, a young boy sang a song about the need for peace, and the light in his eyes awed me," she said.

In addition to Andrie and Schreifels, seniors Maureen Flanders and Peggy Thompson were chosen for the Lions Service Award in October; seniors Callie Frieler and Amanda Stelling were honored in November; and seniors Adam Ingalsbe and Kayla Welle were honored in February.