South Windsor's Peterson Receives $1,000 Scholarship From Kohl's

South Windsor's Samantha Peterson, 16, was honored today with a $1,000 scholarship from Kohl's Department Stores as part of the company's Kohl’s Cares® Scholarship Program that honors nearly 200 volunteers with scholarships toward higher education.

Petersen was one of two Hartford-area youths chosen from more than 37,000 nominees nationwide for making a positive impact in their local communities.

After suffering from severe scoliosis that required a spinal fusion surgery, Petersen started SHIFT Scoliosis, an organization that educates and supports children and their families with spinal conditions. Some of the groups' efforts include giving pillow pets and blankets to children undergoing treatment for the disease.

(Editor's note: Two videos about Sami, neither directly related to the Kohl's award, are attached to this article.)

"Kohl's is proud to recognize the 182 regional winners nationwide for their dedication to making their communities a better place to live," Bevin Bailis, Kohl’s senior vice president, communications and public relations said in a press release. "We commend these bright volunteers for being inspiring examples for others as they have made a difference in their own communities and touched the lives of others through their efforts."

Winners are chosen based on initiative, leadership, generosity and project benefits and outcome. Each regional-level winner qualifies for one of Kohl's 10 national scholarships, which will be announced at the end of July.

National winners will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships, and Kohl's will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each national winner's behalf.