West End Rotary rewards PV High students for essays

Three Pleasant Valley High School students have won the annual West End Rotary Club scholarship competition.

Myranda Fredericks, Amber Butterfield and Alexis Telepo received checks for $100, $50 and $50 respectively at the club’s meeting on April 5. (See photo under Photo Journals, 2012 Scholarship Winners.)

This year the club asked students to describe their personal role model and discuss how that person influenced them to make a different in their community.

Myranda Fredericks wrote about her church’s youth group leader, who provides volunteer opportunities at camps and food banks. She said those programs and ones sponsored by West End Rotary benefit students as well as the community. “You get to share with people, help other people,” she said. “It might encourage them to give back, to make them more involved in their community.”

“Programs like this help students improve writing abilities, self-confidence and leadership skills,” said scholarship program coordinator Elaine Ackroyd-Kelly. “They also encourage people to embrace community service early in their careers. In fact, ‘New Generations’ is one of the five avenues of service in Rotary.”

Myranda Fredericks’ winning essay now moves to Rotary’s district level, where she will compete for a $1,000 scholarship.

West End Rotary raises money to benefit students, firefighters, libraries and others in the community. It is a part of Rotary International, a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service and encourages high ethical standards in all vocations.