STRIVE coordinator Greg Ceisluk speaks to the families and students who came to the award ceremony.
Students taking a renewed interest in education — that is what STRIVE stands for, and it is a pro
gram through the Faribault Rotary Club for local high school seniors that connects students with local Rotarians for career guidance, college planning, and goal-setting.
On Tuesday, the STRIVE scholars who completed the program were awarded scholarships at a lunchtime ceremony at the Shattuck-St. Mary’s Inn.
Students who completed STRIVE were awarded a $250 check for their accomplishments. STRIVE coordinator Greg Ciesluk said that out of 50 students who started the program, only 27 completed the requirements.
The STRIVE scholars for 2025 to 2026 included Leighton Anderson, Samuel Anderson, Shae Battles, Brylie Becker, Alexys Berger, Caitlin Bothun, Lucas Caron, Maggie Edel, Luke McCrea, Crystal Hernandez Palma, Langston Richter, Ashley Schwartz from Bethlehem Academy, Brynn Beardsley, Kaylie Bertram, Teegan Embury, Olivia Fisher, Nelson Landrau, Miles Leopold, Nathan Lockerby, Leah Nowaczewski, Aubrie Newport, Hannah Petersen, Brandon Petricka, Malori Prior, Brianna Velazquez Sanchez, Eddie Yetzer from Faribault High School and Cecelia Hoisington, who is homeschooled.
The 27 STRIVE scholarship stand at the front of the room for a photo with their certificates and checks for $250 for their completion.
Thirteen students received scholarships based on their essays on Service Above Self and the ethical guide Rotary uses called the four-way test. These recipients were Shae Battles, who received $2,000, Hannah Petersen and Malori Prior, who received $1,500, Samuel Anderson, Brynn Beardsley, Crystal Hernandez Palma, Langston Richter and Eddie Yetzer who received $1,000, Aubrie Newport who received $750, Brylie Becker, Lucas Caron, Maggie Edel and Brianna Velazquez Sanchez, who received $500.
The essay scholarship recipients pose for a photo. Front row: Crystal Hernandez Palma, Malori Prior, Shae Battles, Brynn Beardsley. Middle row: Aubrie Newport, Lucas Caron, Brylie Becker, Maggie Edel, Brianna Velazquez Sanchez, Hannah Petersen. Back row:Langston Richter and Eddie Yetzer.
As the highest-awarded winner with a near-perfect essay score, Battles was asked to read her “Service Above Self “essay aloud. She spoke about the many experiences she has had with volunteering and how, in her senior year, she had a mindset shift, from just participating to leading service efforts. These projects included collecting Christmas gifts for families, organizing a Thanksgiving food drive and ringing bells for the Salvation Army
“These activities took time and energy, but they also made me feel proud in a way I never felt before,” she said. “I was not just completing the tasks; I was helping create opportunities for others to give back.”
Shae Battles reads her “Service Above Self” essay aloud to the audience on Tuesday.
The most impactful experience for her was participating in an adopt-a-family program for Christmas, where the BA National Honor Society took on a mother and two sons who “would not have Christmas” due to financial hardships. Battles and the other National Honor Society students delivered them gifts.
“As we carried the gifts inside, the 15-year-old kept thanking God and telling us to stop bringing things in because it was too much,” she said. “He offered us chips, pop and blankets, even though they had so little themselves. The mom was nearly in tears, and the five-year-old wrapped his arm around my leg and would not let go. Talking with the mom made me realize how deeply meaningful this was to them. She told us it was the best thing that had happened to their family in a long time for them.”
She then spoke about how the STRIVE program influenced her desire to serve.
“What used to feel like obligations now feel like opportunities,” she said. “STRIVE reinforced this shift in my mindset through STRIVE sessions and service events. I have learned that students are not too young or too busy to make a difference.
Service does not always require a huge gesture. Sometimes it requires consistency, leadership and a willingness to care. Rotary’s belief in investing in students and strengthening communities showed me that service is about lifting others up, even when no one is watching.”
Then, three students were awarded scholarships for improving their GPAs during their time in the program. Recipients were Aubrie Newport for $2,500 and Brynn Beardsley and Nelson Landrau for $1,000.
