2012-2016

 

Caroline (daughter of Emily and Rotarian Randy Fluke) attended Texas A&M University, graduating with honors from the College of Business in 2016 and then achieving her Aggie M.B.A. in 2020.  She spent 4 years working as a management consultant with Accenture.  During that time, she was also able to earn an Executive Certification in Real Estate Investment and Development from Rice University and has used that to switch career tracks.  Caroline started a new position just over a week ago with Hanover Real Estate Company in Houston as a Commercial Real Estate Broker.  Caroline is married to John Erck, and they have a golden retriever who is their baby and goes everywhere with them.  She and John volunteer at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and other local charities.  She has started a website where she offers fully researched itineraries for vacations – it is a great idea and you can check it out at https://www.notatravelagentco.com/ .  Caroline has had a long history with Rotary, helping to start the Interact club at Westbrook High School during her time there.  She said she strives to stay physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally healthy, and makes sure that she surrounds herself with people who make her better.  She expressed her thanks to the Club for awarding her the scholarship in 2016 that helped jump start her career.

2018 – 2022

Victoria is a current student at Texas A&M University, where she is majoring in Psychology.  She plans to obtain her Master of Psychology, and then a Clinical Psychology Ph D.  She attended Central Medical Magnet High School in Beaumont where she graduated at the top of her class.  She has kept that going in Aggieland, where she has received recognition in National Collegiate Honors.  She is a member of the Honors Student Council and works as a Resident Advisor in her dormitory.  She is a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary, whose motto is “A leadership-based honorary comprised of exemplary residential students who value recognition and service” (it sounds positively Rotarian).  She will serve as President of the organization next year.  Victoria believes in “Service Above Self”, which she said fits in perfectly with the Aggie culture.  She said that she believes you should never be afraid to ask for help and you should always remember that your experiences are not like others, so you should endeavor to understand their point of view, which may be different than your own.  Wise words from a young mind.

2016 – 2020

 

Mary received her bachelor’s degree from Lamar University and will finish her M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration in May of 2021.  Mary was also a member of the West Brook Interact Club and served as its President.  She and the Club helped raise money for the Rotary Centennial Playground.  She had contact with Rotary early on, receiving a book in Kindergarten donated by Rotary.  She brought the book with her, which she showed to us, and read the inscription inside written by a Rotarian.  Mary continued her Rotary involvement at Lamar University as a member of the Rotaract Club, serving in several officer positions, including President of the Club.  As a member of Rotaract, she helped raise money for a water well in Nicaragua.  She said that when she was first presented with the project cost, she felt that there was no way they could achieve that goal.  But she learned to ask for help, even speaking to our group and asking for assistance.  They ended up being able to fund not one, but two water wells.  Mary said she is proud to be associated with an organization that does so much in the areas of education, mothering children, and water and sanitation.  Mary has attended Rotary District Conference, where she said she enjoyed the fact that she was treated as a young professional and was welcomed as an important part of the group.  Her Rotaract group also helped to fund an ICU unit in Myanmar, where medical facilities are sorely lacking.  Mary became emotional when speaking of Myanmar and the current struggles going on there, as that is her birthplace.  She said that she was so proud to be part of an organization that was working around the world in countries such as Honduras, Nicaragua, and Myanmar to improve the lives of the people who live there.  Mary told us that Interact and Rotaract changed her life by showing her how generous Rotarians are.  She loves the fact that she is part of Rotary making a difference across the globe.  Mary’s words were heartfelt and understandably emotional, and she received a standing ovation from the members present.

 

 

John Seth Ballard, who headed up the selection process, introduced the 2 recipients for the Rotary Scholarships for 2021-2025.  These students will receive $2000.00 per year for the next 4 years to assist them in their educational journeys. 

 

The newest Rotary Scholars are:

 

Emma is a senior at West Brook High School.  She is an honor student, the president of the West Brook Interact Club, a published poet, and will be attending Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, to study Biomedical Engineering.

 

 

Keith is a senior at Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School.  He is a member of the Kelly Interact Club, is an honor student, and is an accomplished swimmer.  Keith will be attending Niagara University in Buffalo, New York, on a swimming scholarship where he will pursue a degree in Nursing.

 

Both Emma and Keith have already shown themselves to be dedicated to serving others with their involvement in numerous service projects during their high school years.  They each reflect the highest ideas of scholarship and service and we should be proud to have them represent Rotary at their respective universities.