Several local Grade 12 students landed cash awards Monday from the Rotary Club of Red Deer in conjunction with the Red Deer & District Community Foundation.
Sixteen Rotary Career Opportunity Award recipients received $2,000 each during a special lunch meeting at the Pidherney Centre.
“It’s important because it acknowledges the Rotary Club’s involvement in our community and how they recognize the up-and-comers who also have involvement in the community,” said Josh Young, one of the award recipients.
“The scholarship is a way of recognizing that we have dreams, and that sometimes there are obstacles we have (in) achieving them. This scholarship is a way that kind of smooths the road for us,” said Young, who is planning to attend the University of Alberta this fall to begin studies in engineering.
“It’s a huge honour,” said Ben Harman, another recipient.
“It’s wonderful to be able to have people there and organizations like the Rotary Club who want to help me further my career.
“It’s really important that I follow my passion, and the Rotary Club has given me the opportunity to do so,” said Harman, who will be studying education and history this fall. “They are very dedicated to helping everybody including the youth.”
Rounding out the list of recipients are Keira Ostrosser, Sydney McMurray, Cristy Cabrera Rodriguez, Breanna Zimmer, Makenna Good-Nicks, Anna Wright, Elijah Chauvet, Jolyn Tuazon, Christina Marcinek, Elisandro Cruz Martinez, Alyssa Saxton, Maria Anderson McGhee and Grace Gratiela Sporea.
Sporea noted that she felt very blessed and very grateful for the award.
”I was shocked when I got it – very surprised and very honoured,” she said, adding she plans to study biology at Red Deer College. “This really helps.”
Christopher Warren, chair of the Rotary Career Opportunity Awards said that applicants are scored based on their community involvement, extra-curricular participation, academic efforts and financial need.
Warren said the awards were launched back in 1996.
Students were from Lindsay Thurber, Notre Dame and St. Joseph High Schools.
