The 2000 movie, "Pay It Forward", tells a story of a young man who plans to do a very special deed for three people. The only stipulation is that each of them must also do a special deed for three more people and somehow this might change the world. Adriana Casas is one example of how Kiwanis can make this dream happen. Adriana Casas is a remarkable young women and an active member in the Circle K International (CKI) Chapter at the University of North Texas (UNT). When she joined CKI, three and one half years ago as a freshman, she realized that this was her chance to finally “pay it forward.” Her passion for Kiwanis was immediate. She enthusiastically threw herself into the club’s service projects, and eventually became the chair of the Club’s Public Relations Committee and the Club Secretary. Currently she is the Chairperson for the T-O District Membership/Kiwanis Family Committee. This committee recently developed the District’s innovative “3 Easy Steps 2 1 United Kiwanis Family” program. The program is designed to help the T-O District reach its goal of having every CKI Chapter have 3 Kiwanis, 2 Key Clubs, and 1 CKI interclub per year. In addition, she was instrumental in developing a program to inform CKI members about the importance (and the rules) for “stealing” other clubs’ property in order to promote even more interclubs. As part of her district’s membership growth goals, she created an internet group where chapters across the TO District can exchange ideas as well as flyers that they have created to give ideas to other clubs on how to recruit new members. She is implementing the T-O District’s Freshmen Leadership Incentive Program (FLIP), which is designed to promote the transition of former Key Club members into CKI, through a reduced cost of membership incentive. Adriana is a top scholar at UNT, where she is majoring in Bilingual Generalist Early Childhood through 4th Grade Education. To date she has received two George and Betty Jane Morrison Scholarships from the Denton Breakfast Kiwanis Club, as well as the Bessie P. Cowan Scholarship and the SGA Community Service Tuition Award Scholarship from UNT. She expects to graduate in May 2007. This bundle of creative service energy attributes her passion for Kiwanis to the kindness that Kiwanians showed her while growing up in Dallas. As a young girl, her family could simply not afford professional dental care. However, thanks to the support of generous Kiwanians, both she and her sister were able to obtain needed dental care at the Kiwanis Dental Health Care Center1. Later when she required orthodontic care, these same Kiwanians provided the necessary referrals to make this care affordable. When she heard about the Key Club at Thomas Jefferson High School, which she discovered was sponsored by Kiwanis, she felt the first tugs of how to pay “it” forward. Unfortunately, her involvement with sports and studies left little time for service activities. As a college freshman she learned of UNT’s CKI Club. The tug on her heart became overwhelming and she not only joined the CKI but threw herself into Kiwanis. It is fair to say that Adriana has not only paid “it” forward to three people, but to the many of us who know her! Jack Becker Chair, Division 39 Builders Club and K-Kids Committee Reproduced from Division 39's "Spirit of Excellence Newsletter", November, 2005