Today at LCCC, we had over 40 guests and the Greeters were P-E Jeanne Shipe, VP Amir Famili, Ronnee and DGN Herb Klotz. Barbara and Jeff Kistler also helped direct attendees and welcome them.
President Elect Jeanne Shipe began the meeting at 7:30 A.M. by welcoming us all to this very special AW Rotary meeting. The Rev. Jeffrey Kistler gave a very nice invocation. Then Jeanne introduced Dr. Barbara Kistler who organized and made this event happen.
Scholarship Selection and Program Chair: Dr. Barbara Kistler welcomed all to the LCCC campus. Barb introduced Dr. Thomas Meyer, Vice-President of Academic Services and Student Development for Lehigh Carbon Community College. Dr. Meyer said a few kind words about AW Rotarians and the scholarship awards program.
TEMPTING TASTES 4 REPORT:
Gwenn Carr told your editor that our May 6th TT4 event has netted at least $24,300 with more expected.
ANNUAL DISTRICT TRAINING ASSEMBLY:
AWRC was well represented with P-E Jeanne Shipe, DGN Herb Klotz, VP Amir Famili, Foundation Chair John Scott, Ron Coleman and Bill Palmer there.
SCHEDULE:
President Mike announces upcoming events at our meetings and a list of them appears on our website. A list of the appropriate contact information appears each week in the A-W bulletin.
RODALE PARK VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
The Rodale Cycling Park - Allentown West Rotary Work Event is on Saturday- May 19, from 830-11am. We will be spreading mulch. Please sign up with Dennis Houser.
THURSDAY EVENING MEETINGS:
May 24th we will meet at the Weatherland Winery at 7670 Carpet Rd, New Tripoli. Guy and Cindy Rosevelt are in charge. A sign-up sheet is going around.
NEXT WEEK:
Our Greeter will be Randy Beitler and the program will be Chris Blechschmidt + Ala our Youth Exchange Student. Treasurer Chris will update us on our finances. And Ala will provide a Year in Review.
There were no drawings today, since we were at LCCC, and we did not do HAPPY DOLLARS.
PROGRAM:
Our program today was our annual ceremony awarding scholarships to qualified students in the school districts that we serve throughout the year.
The Allentown-West Rotary Club members awarded NINE (9) $1,000 scholarships to students from Northwestern Lehigh High School, Parkland High School, Lehigh Career and Technical Institute and Lehigh Carbon Community College. And a very special $500 scholarship in memory of Rotarian Michael Henry also was awarded, and for the very first time..
Students applied for these scholarships by completing a new online application requiring general information including academic performance and paragraphs describing school and community service involvement, leadership skills, and future career goals. Service and leadership were the two characteristics which formed the basis of the selection process along with a strong academic record.
The scholarship selection committee met and reviewed the 40 applications. The selection committee members included Amir Famili, Gwenn Carr, Cindy Rosevelt and Jerry Frank along with Dr. Barbara Kistler as chair. They were recognized with applause.
Mr. Jeff Wilner, General Manager at Amazon.com in Breinigsville and the Human Resources Manager, Mary Singer, presented each of the winners with a Kindle Fire compliments of Amazon.com. We thank them for their continuing support.
Dr. Kistler had each winner and school representative come forward to have P-E Jeanne present the checks, and Jeff to present the Kindle’s. She began with the Lehigh Carbon Community College winners:
Aldaine Alphonse and Alyssa Smith
College representatives included Transfer Counselor, Ginny Mihalik, Vice-President for Academic Services and Student Development, Dr. Tom Meyer as well as Gene Eden, Student Affairs Director.
Aldaine Alphonse came to the US in 2016 from Haiti. She desired to pursue a business Associates degree from LCCC. She found academic life at first very challenging particularly overcoming language barriers. She overcame many of difficulties by using resources available to her and develop a strict study schedule. She used LCCC’s tutoring center for example and her strong work ethic helped her achieve her 3.6 grade point average. She also joined organizations here on campus such as Student Government, Business Club, Psychology Club and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society where she serves as treasurer. She helped develop a payment plan for low-income students wanting to be part of PTK. She also joined the American Red Cross as a Home Fire Volunteer. She not only installs fire alarms, but teaches fire safety procedures.
Aldaine will be attending Bucknell University majoring in business.
Alyssa Smith is a leader at LCCC. You may have seen her in an LCCC co
mmercial. In the organizations she’s a part of, she’s an officer. In Phi Theta Kappa she organized a group to run in a 5K supporting the Truth for Women home for victims of sexual violence. She has completed a Criminal Justice degree and she has already worked for the Assistant DA in Carbon County helping clients and her boss navigate the legal system before trials. She volunteers her time giving prospective student tours here at LCCC and has acted as a student spokesperson.
Alyssa will be attending Cedar Crest College majoring in Criminal Justice. will be taken by Gary in front of the backdrop)
Northwestern Lehigh High School winners include:
Hallie Harrington, Reuben Kemmerer and Brandon Shah.
Northwestern representatives were Dr. Mary Anne Wright, Rotarian and Superintendent of the District, Ms. Jennifer Holman, Assistant Superintendent and Erica Gross, High School Counselor.
Hallie is no stranger to the AWRC, both she and Reuben were named Rotary Students of the Month by their counselors. We also have another Haiti connection since Hallie raised money for children in Haiti through her church and because of her efforts was chosen to go to Haiti to meet the orphan children there. It changed her life. Her leadership skills are also exemplary since she serves as Student Council President with oversight and planning of all the various programs and fundraisers including Mr. Northwestern and the Pennsylvania Special Olympics. She’s the youngest of eight children and plans to continue using her leadership and service attributes.
Hallie is planning to attend Indiana Wesleyan University to become a pastor.
Reuben Kemmerer serves in whatever position he finds himself. He’s participates in numerous fund raisers and clubs including Key Club, Investment Club and National Honor Society. Through his church he also participates in Love Lehigh Valley and consciously works to serve and help others. His leadership skills are demonstrated on his cross country team where he is captain. His humility and generosity are commendable.
Reuben is planning to attend DeSales University.
Brandon Shah is a well-traveled young man. He realized on his travels that most of the world does not have the same advantages as most of us. He and his twin sister were determined to do something that would help those who were less fortunate. They started an organization called Charms for Charity making charms and selling them for the Lehigh Valley Red Cross. The funds they raised were used to buy blankets, food and other necessities for children displaced by house fires. They received a “Heroes of the Red Cross” award for these efforts. At school Brandon was instrumental in starting the Tiger Fund Investment Club to bring together students with a passion for finance. This “new” club has over 50 members and meets periodically to help students better understand the stock market and personal investing. Students managed $100,000 of fictitious money and Brandon solicited college professors to come to the school to speak about investing.
Brandon will be attending Penn State’s Smeal College of Business in the Sapphire Leadership Program.
LCTI student winners include
Benjamin Fry who’s home school is Northwestern Lehigh and
Alya Wezza who’s sending school is Parkland High School. LCTI was represented by Dr. Mark Covelle, newly named Academic Center Principal.
We read about these two students from LCTI in the Press before we read their scholarship applications. They are more than deserving of our scholarships. Both of them are part of the Emerging Health Professionals program at LCTI. These two helped raise nearly $238 K total for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. They each raised more than $10,000. Today you get your rewards of $1000 scholarships for your efforts.
Ben has been the class president at Northwestern Lehigh for all four years. He’s vice-president of the Science Olympiad team where he competes in the Anatomy and Physiology event. He volunteers through his church, National Honor Society, Student Council and Health Occupations Students of America.
Ben hopes to study Molecular and Cell Biology at Johns Hopkins University to eventually become a doctor.
Alya Wezza has been involved with many clubs at Parkland High School such as Key Club and Leo Club and Rotary’s Interact Club. All of these clubs provide students with opportunities to serve others. On her own she volunteers at Country Meadows where she organizes Bingo nights and gets to know the “elders”. She participates in Big Brother Big Sister seeing her “little sister” once a week helping her with assignments and reading to her.
Alya is planning to attend Moravian College in the fall.
Parkland student winner are
Garima Patel and
Habeeb Salau.
Mr. Jude Sandt, Assistant Principal of Parkland High School, represented Parkland High School.
Garima and Habeeb hold a special place in the hearts of Allentown-West Rotary because they are active Parkland Interact Club students who monthly assist with the Snack Pack program at Parkland. Habeeb is current President of the Interact Club.
For Garima Patel that’s just the beginning of the list of service activities for which she is a part. She’s in Key Club, Math Internship, National Honor Society and Club Med where she participates in all their service opportunities. She volunteers at Country Meadows and Cedar Brook homes through the Emerging Health Program. She also helps out at her temple by cleaning and assisting in major celebrations staying up all night making food and decorating. She leads youth sessions at her temple every Saturday reading and discussing religious teachings. She’s been a camp counselor for her temple for over 5 years. Garima is the first in her immediate family to be born and raised in America. She describes how her parents sacrificed both professionally and economically by coming to America from India to give their future children a better life. It’s very important to Garima to succeed and do well.
Garima would eventually like to become a doctor studying at the University of Pittsburgh.
Besides serving as President of the Interact Club, Habeeb Salau is captain of the Parkland’s Varsity Debate Team which won the Eastern PA Conference Debate championship earlier this year. He’s also captain of the Varsity track team and was on the 1600 meter team that set a league record and qualified for states. Habeeb started his own SAT prep class. He recognized there were students who were disadvantaged and were trying acclimate themselves to an American culture. He contacted a community center where he could get a room on Saturday mornings and he started with 3 students coming to his free SAT Prep Class. Since then his class has mushroomed to 15. His first batch of students took the SATs for the first time on March 10.
Habeeb is going to MIT majoring in Chemical Engineering.
Mike Henry was a beloved Allentown West Rotarian who passed away last April 27th. Funds given in his memory were designated to be used for a scholarship. Mike did believe in service above self. This year’s Michael Henry Scholarship Award winner is RJ Corba.
RJ has been a Student of the Month at Parkland and has participated in the Interact Club there. He helped found Bikes for Tykes service project last year. He serves as an officer of the National Honor Society and is a student representative on Parkland’s community advisory commission to the assistant superintendent.
He is a member of Math Honor Society and English Honor Society as well as the National Honor Society. At Parkland he has played three different sports lacrosse, volleyball and golf. He is in the engineering track and loves math and science taking several AP courses in each. He placed second in the state with his science fair project.
RJ plans to attend Hamilton College and play lacrosse.
HERE IS A PHOTO OF ALL OF THE WINNERS:
Our meeting concluded with the singing of one verse of America the Beautiful, saluting the flag, and reciting the Club motto, “One profits most who serves best”.
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