LINCOLN ROTARIANS will miss...
the vital presence and participation of Gayle Lucas Roth & Paul Roth at our regular club meetings. Gayle & Paul have stepped back from "active service" but have promised to continue their support from the sidelines.
At their final meeting on June 24, the couple shared a tearful Point of Pride...
Paul has "distinct pride" in being a Lincoln Rotarian and considers being a Rotarian a significant accomplishment of his life. He highlighted his admiration and appreciation for what a strong club we are.
Gayle spoke of finding the "wider world of Rotary" through her experience with our club. She is grateful for what has been a most enjoyable ten years as a Lincoln Rotarian.
Both Gayle and Paul have generously included Rotary in their estate planning.
In tribute to the dedicated service of these two wonderful people, Gayle & Paul are now recognized as Rotary Club of Lincoln Honorary Members.
Rotary District 7090 Scholarship 2024 Recipient - Victoria “Vee” Bridger...
As a 2024 West Niagara Secondary School graduate, Vee is the 2nd Lincoln Rotary sponsored recipient of this scholarship. The first was Tiana Sherback who graduated from WNSS in June 2023. President Joanne presented Vee with her scholarship in the amount of $1,200 USD at our RCL meeting on June 24, 2024.
Vee and her Mom & Dad, Maria & Jeremy, & her brother, William, live in Vineland.
When Vee was 11 years old she was diagnosed with chiari malformation. Chiari is a congenital birth defect that affects the brain, spine, and nervous system. This defect occurs when the cerebellum gets pushed out of the base of the skull where the spinal cord connects. Due to her condition, she received chiari decompression surgery which is a form of brain surgery. The decompression surgery relieved the pressure from her head and skull. Some side effects of the malformation were nerve damage and scoliosis due to spinal rotation. To prevent further rotation she was put into a back brace and wore the brace 23 hours a day for 4 years.
Fast forward to today, Vee is a high achieving student, an active community volunteer & employed at Conversations Café. In September, she will begin her studies in Psychology at Brock University. Vee’s chosen field of study hearkens back to her experience at Sick Kids. She explains...
“Many healthcare professionals made a lasting impact on me, but the mental health specialists were the ones who helped me overcome some of my biggest obstacles. For example, post-opt I had a lot of trouble eating. One of the mental health specialists, helped me get used to eating again. She also continued to visit me even after I was eating consistently. The workers at Sick Kids inspired me to help children the way that I was helped. I want to work at Sick Kids in one of their psychiatric clinics. They have a wide range of specializations within psychiatry including acute psychiatric emergencies, treatment of chronic psychiatric disorders, and care of physically ill kids. Although I received treatment from the care of physically ill kids section, I would like to specialize in the treatment of chronic psychiatric disorders."
Beyond this goal, Vee also wants to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders to help support individuals with PTSD and other similar disorders or traumatic experiences. In her own words...
“My experiences and struggles have motivated me to dedicate my life to helping people, specifically kids. I want to inspire people to push through the hard times and see the bright side of things. Not only do I want to work to help people, but I also want to volunteer to improve the community and the lives of the people in it.”
Congratulations Vee! We are so very proud of all that you have overcome and achieved in your early life and we wish you great success and fulfilment in all that you pursue in the future.
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