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Area College Athlete Finalist For Prestigious Award

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A local college student athlete has been named a finalist for the prestigious Wooden Citizenship Cup, an award presented annually to athletes, collegiate and professional, who serve as outstanding role models.

Kelly Dennis is a senior tennis standout at Division Two Chestnut Hill College. She is also the program's all time leader in wins. But even more impressive is her work for others.

She has worked to help children in Africa since her high school days in Ohio.

"Unified for Uganda is a nonprofit that was started in Cincinnati by myself and a few other high school students. We learned about the war in Uganda, and we took this overwhelming feeling that we had, and we turned it into an empowering feeling by being able to sponsor students in Uganda to go to school there."

Dennis says the organization has sponsored over 100 students, allowing them to go to primary and secondary school.

She is not the only finalist from our area. The list also includes Penn senior basketball player Dau Jok, who has started a foundation to help Sudanese children.

The Wooden Cup winner will be revealed on April 22.

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