Rotary awards 3 scholarships to Grove Seniors

Grove Rotary awarded three Grove High School seniors scholarships amounting to $7,200 during a ceremony at the high school on Monday. Presentations are normally made at a regular Rotary meeting, but this year family and friends gathered in the high school parking lot to watch the three, Trace Arnold, Rachel Reyes and Dakota Rickey receive their checks.

GROVE ROTARY NAMES THREE STUDENTS
TO RECEIVE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

In a celebration undampened by COVID-19, three Grove High School seniors were named winners of the Grove Rotary College Scholarships on Monday, May 4. The students gathered at the high school entrance – keeping social distance – where they were greeted by Rotarians honking their horns as the checks were presented.

Winners of the 2020 scholarships, each valued at $7,200 paid out over four years, are Trace Arnold, Rachel Reyes, and Dakota Rickey. They were among 18 outstanding seniors, representing about 13 percent of the senior class, who applied for the coveted award.

Trace, son of Jim and Adrian Arnold of Wyandotte, has excelled academically while carrying eight concurrent college courses, serving on numerous youth boards, participating in four athletics programs and running his own lawn care business. He served as Student Council president in 2019-20 and was active in the school’s COW (Changing Our World) Week fundraising effort over the past three years. Trace plans to attend Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, majoring in business and finance.

Rachel, daughter of Eduardo and Edna Reyes of Grove, holds a class rank of fourth in a senior class of 142. Her impressive resume includes several state and national awards in environmental sciences, a lengthy list of school-based extracurricular activities, and more than 20 community service programs. She has been a member of the Rotary Interact Club since her freshman year and participated in the Rotary Youth Achievement Award (RYLA) experience during her junior year. Rachel plans to attend Oklahoma State University, where she plans to major in the music business.

Dakota, son of Alissa Rickey of Grove, is a valedictorian of the Grove Class of 2020, with a grade point average of 4.0 (4.275 weighted by performance on advanced courses). He has been active in the GHS Math Club since his freshman year, as well as participating in track and cross-country sports. He has participated in the Interact Club and the RYLA program, where he has been selected twice to return as a Councilor-in-Training. He has served as Grove Youth Police Academy volunteer, a legislative page for Rep. Josh West, and participated in the Civil Air Patrol. Dakota plans to attend the University of Tulsa, majoring in business and law.

“These outstanding students have accomplished a great deal in academics as well as service,” said David Adzigian, chair of the Rotary Education Committee, the group responsible for reviewing applications, interviewing finalists and selecting the winners.

“They exhibit the values important to Rotary, including commitment, service and hard work. We are proud to support them as they take the next steps in their education.”
Adzigian said the Education Committee has a rewarding, though difficult, job of selecting the winners from an outstanding group of young people. “Each year, I hear from committee members how encouraged they are by the whole experience. It reaffirms our faith in our youth and builds our hopes for the future.”

The Education Committee is composed of nine Rotarians with three-year staggered terms. Current members are: David Adzigian, Pauline Hale, Mike Bumpas, Robert Hinman, Cheryl Flood, Karen Walters, Cindie Kees, David Bridges and Ken Spragins.

Grove Rotary’s scholarship program has grown over the years, thanks to successful fundraising efforts such as LobsterFest, Adzigian said. Today the club’s annual scholarship program supports 17 active scholarships, including two full-tuition vocational scholarships to Northeast Technology Center in Afton, three new four-year college scholarships, and 12 on-going college scholarships. These hold a combined annual value of $24,100.