This has been a year unlike any other, but the Rotary Club of Aiken has made it a very special one for twenty-one high school seniors in Aiken, SC. Foregoing our traditional luncheon celebration due to COVID 19 restrictions, the squeals of shock and delight heard during the notification phone calls to these deserving students were evidence that the $5000 college scholarship each were awarded is a game changer for most of them.
The Rotary Club of Aiken Scholarship Committee carefully considered approximately 120 applicants. While grades were considered, it was not the major driver for a scholarship determination. Students were evaluated on their extracurricular activities, their volunteer efforts, the importance attached to furthering their education, the challenges they have overcome, and their own efforts to address their financial needs.
Linda Strojan, Scholarship Committee Co-Chair, explained, “While we looked at the grades of each applicant to ensure they had the ability to be successful in college, we were very interested in helping those students whose actions spoke to their dedication to Rotary’s “Service above Self” motto. These students were engaged in a host of community service activities.” She went on to say, “I believe in the power of education to improve lives. If we can help students achieve their goals by making education more affordable, we have made a difference.”
Many of the stories and the students’ efforts were heartwarming but the Scholarship Committee could easily see how the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic would affect each applicant. Many of the applicants had depended on their own jobs to help bridge the financial gap for college, but these were quickly eliminated due to COVID 19. Given the unprecedented change from a booming economy to a high rate of unemployment, we could see many parents would be unable to provide educational support for their high school senior.
Betty Ryberg, Scholarship Committee Co-Chair, rallied Rotarians and community leaders to donate additional funds to expand the scholarship awards from 16 to a record-setting 21 scholarships for the Rotary Club of Aiken. She said, “I am so thankful to our fellow Rotarians and friends who stepped up to fund our scholarships. Our winners are future pharmacists, business owners, scientists, teachers, musicians, and athletes. These students make me look forward to a future in which they will serve on boards, they will start businesses, they will be donors. They may become future Rotarians. This is the future I envision for each of them.”
Funding for the scholarships was provided not only by Rotarians but also by outside donations. The Albrecht Family Charitable Trust, the Gifting Tree Foundation and the Kisner Foundation are three of the organizations who provided funding for the 2020 scholarships.
