Cogitator Dec 26, 2012

VISITING ROTARIANS

None.

GUESTS

Ellen Basso and Jackie Osterhout (proud moms), Tammy and Andre Rocke (proud parents), and Heather Shen (proud sister), were all on hand in support of their respective family members receiving East Greenwich Rotary Scholarship Fund awards.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Happy New Year’s Day birthday to Lou Lepry!  (Lou said he has been 68…for 16 years in a row.) 

Also, happy 44^th anniversary to President Ken (and Joyce) Colaluca!  (Ken praised Lou Lepry for his 30+ years of work as an educator in the East Greenwich school system.)

HAPPY BUCKS

-Lou Lepry was happy to have received a thank-you note from RI Family shelter, thanking the club for its recent donation.

-Jodi Gladstone’s son Caleb recently completed his last of his twelve college application essays.

-Bob Sloan’s parents swiped one of his favorite sweaters a couple of weeks ago, hoping to find him a good Christmas match.  In the meantime, poor Bob tore his house upside down trying to find it!

-Dave Iannuccilli was happy to report that son Jason just became a partner at RI Medical Imaging. 

-Ken Colaluca gave five happy bucks for scholarship recipients on hand, noting that ‘our future is in good hands with great kids like these.’

-Ron Winde was happy to be seated next to Ivy Shen, one of today’s scholarship recipients who attends college at his alma mater, Dartmouth. 

PROGRAM

East Greenwich Rotary Scholarship Fund Recipients

Dave had pamphlets on all lunch tables, and he suggested to Rotarians to please keep the Scholarship Fund in mind for both annual charitable contributions as well as when designing wills and estate plans.

2012 Scholarship Recipients

Walter G. Barney Award-$1,000

Rachel Basso enjoyed her first semester at Northeastern University where she will major in physical therapy.  She has been active in community service with kids from Roxbury via ‘Peace through Play.’ 

Chuck and Bea Keyes Award-$500

Alysia Sjoberg is in Salve Regina’s Nursing School.  Alysia joined a dance company, and for community service she volunteers at ‘Lucy’s Hearth’ in Newport. 

Irving A. Silverman Award-$500

Sarah Gronhagen found her first semester in CCRI’s nursing program to be challenging.  She also currently works 25 hours per week as a CNA at Brentwood Nursing Home in Warwick.

Howard D. Silverman Award-$500

Linnea Osterhout had a ‘great first semester’ as a Farleigh Dickinson University art major.  She works at an animal shelter in Madison, NJ, and spends time in a local art club for kids. 

Rotary Personal Achievement Award-$1,000

Megan Rocke spent her semester in Costa Rica as a student of Global College of Long Island University.  Her community service included a visit to an orphanage in Panama.  Megan will be take part in a United Nations student program next semester.  (For more information about Megan’s school, here’s a link: http://www.liu.edu/Global/About)

East Greenwich Rotary Scholarship, 2012-$1,000 for four years

Ana Opishinski is majoring in history and anthropology at the University of Rhode Island, where along with her studies enjoyed time as a new member of the fencing team. 

Ivy Shen attends Dartmouth College and has been quite busy in her first year with UNICEF, Big Sisters, the Dartmouth Orchestra, and tutoring.  Ivy was 2011’s Miss Rhode Island Outstanding Teen.

East Greenwich Rotary Scholarship, 2011-$1,000 for four years

Sonali Shah is in her second year at Lehigh University where she majors in chemical engineering.  Sonali did conservation work in a Costa Rican rain forest last semester.  She is a member of ‘Leadership Lehigh,’ a 4-year program for developing young leaders on campus. 

Stephanie Huang wasn’t present, but she sent a letter to Dave telling us that she is an economics major at the University of Chicago, and, she worked for a non-profit ‘artistic expression’ group in Hyde Park.

East Greenwich Rotary Scholarship, 2010-$1,000 for four years

Jenna Denice is a junior at Boston College majoring in psychology.  She hopes she will be offered a human resources internship next semester, and she is involved in B.C.’s undergraduate government.  On January 3^rd, Jenna will travel to Belize where she will help build a home and visit an HIV clinic. 

Brook MacDonald wasn’t present, but she sent Dave a note updating her activities.  Brook is a junior at Providence College, majoring in elementary and special education.  Brook is also a mentor with ‘P.C. Pals,’ which offers local kids help with after-school tutoring and socialization. 

East Greenwich Rotary Scholarship, 2009-$1,000 for four years

Lauren Buckheit is in her fourth year of a five-year architecture program at Syracuse University, where she also minors in international business.  Lauren spent last semester in Florence, Italy and was also able to travel throughout Europe.  She participated in Habitat for Humanity in Syracuse.  Finally, Lauren worked at the Smith Group in Washington, DC, assisting in the building of educational buildings at institutions such as Georgetown Law and Georgia Tech. 

Spencer Dean was absent, but she also sent a note to Dave.  She will graduate in May from Villanova University, with a degree in biochemistry and a minor in Spanish.  Spencer graciously thanked the club for its support over the past four years. 

Rocky Hill School Award-$500

Victoria Kue was absent. 

Barbara M. Tufts Award-$1,000

Taylor Christie was absent.

Arthur P. Silverman Award-$500

Kelsey Browning was absent. 

Community Service Award-$500

Hannah Abbott was absent.