Write a commentAt last week’s meeting, Fulton Rotarians held a luncheon to honor local high school seniors.
Treasurer Steve Osborne spoke about the club’s long history with awarding scholarships, starting with their very first scholarship in 1997, which was $500 awarded to Rachel Harvey. Major donors over the years have included the family of Sandy and Sylvia Squires, the Shah family, the Tirendi Foundation, and the Patrick family. Although the club is small in size, the Noon Rotarians have awarded roughly $56,000 in scholarships over the past 27 years.
Neil Shah announced the winners of the Dr. Manjula Shah Scholarship: Harper Ells, who is planning to major in Equestrian Studies and minor in Biology at Alfred University; and Zoey Kerr, who is planning to attend RPI in the fall. Shah’s family started the Tirendi Foundation, which supports 14 scholarships in the county, including the scholarship awarded by the Fulton Noon Rotary.
Sue Patrick then introduced Ciara Orr, winner of the Ken Patrick Scholarship. Orr will be attending Cornell University for pre-law with a focus on industrial and labor relations.
The Squires scholarship, which offers $500 per year for up to 4 years, was awarded to Rebekah May. May will be attending Utica University for nursing, with plans to work in cosmetic nursing alongside a plastic surgeon or in a med spa.
The club also awarded two Rotary Club Foundation Scholarships to Olivia Bauer and Ella Haladay. Bauer will be attending Kings College for nursing, while Haladay plans to study pre-med at St. John Fishers.
Fulton Noon Rotary is continuing to expand its support of area youth with new scholarship opportunities. After presenting this year’s awards, former president Bill Lynch, who was leading the ceremony, invited Mark Luciano of Brookfield Power to share exciting news. The utility company—which has already established scholarship funds in Potsdam, Canton, and Massena—will be working with the Fulton Noon Rotary on a yearly scholarship fund for Fulton high school seniors planning to attend college.
“STEM is a big value for us,” Luciano noted. The company produces green energy through hydroelectric dams like the one on the Oswego River in Fulton and also owns wind farms and other assets.
While the amount of the award from Brookfield Power is not set in stone just yet, Luciano expects it to be in the range of $2,500 or so each year.
Fulton’s Noon Rotarians are small but mighty, and they are currently looking to expand their club’s membership. To join or learn more about their work, reach out to the club on Facebook.
