Courtesy photo
Rotary Club Awards $125,400 in Scholarships
Submitted by Dr. D. Michael Hart
The Rotary Club of Westfield Foundation recently awarded $125,400 in scholarships to 14 students. Since 1967 the Rotary has awarded over $3.4 million dollars in scholarships to approximately 1,800 students.
Carl Peer, Esq is the chair of the Rotary Club Foundation Scholarship Committee, During the event held at Westfield High School, Carl reviewed the three requirements to receive a Rotary scholarship: a strong Academic background to demonstrate future success in college; Financial need; and Service to the community.
This year’s Rotary Club Scholarship Committee includes Chair Carl Peer; Mary Ellen O’Boyle, who has served on this committee for 28 years; Deirdre Gelinne; Heather Benz, Ray Kostyak and Lauren Barr.
Speakers included Westfield School Board President Robert Benacchio, Rupa Motwani representing the Westfield Foundation gave a summary of the Foundations role in the scholarship funding. Also speaking to the crowd was Nancy Muserlian of the Women’s Club of Westfield. The club has recently disbanded and has left funds with the Rotary Club to administer scholarships and grants to local organizations.
Students receiving scholarships with the colleges attending, amounts and names of scholarships are:
- Christopher (Max) Beriont – Fairleigh Dickinson – $7,400 – Georgianna Pollack
- Shannon Gibbs – College of Brockport – $3,000 – Harry Sturke & Rotary; – $5,000, Women’s Club
- Theresa Lizzo – Vanderbilt – $10,000 – Linda Read Memorial
- Madison Zemsky – Pittsburgh – $5,000 – Charles and Florence Wallace; – $5,000, Women’s Club
- Adam Goddard – Emerson – $15,000 – Charles and Florence Wallace
- Gianna Puglisi – George Washington – $2,5000 Harry Sturke; – $5,000, Women’s Club
- Lina Wright – Eindhoven – $5,000, Women’s Club
- Zachery Carvalho – Lawrence Technical – $5,000 – Nancy Jackson Rotary
- Rishi Shroff – Purdue – $15,000 – Charles and Florence Wallace
- Maximilian Shreiner – $5,000 – Nancy Jackson Rotary
- Agatha Magierski – John Hopkins – $15,000 – Robert & Winfred Law
- Alexa Sheppard – Costal Carolina – $5,000 – William and Center Gerdes; – $5,000, Women’s Club
- Nolan Daly – Ohio State – $5,000 – Harry Sturke
- Jillian Almendral – Boston University – $5,000, Women’s Club
The history of the Westfield Rotary Club supporting students is as follows. The club was founded in 1921, and shortly afterwards, Mabel Douglas spoke to the club about the value of educating women. She helped start, and was Dean of Douglass Women’s College, which was named after her. From 1923 through 1944 the club made 400 loans to students. When the US entered WWII, everyone went to war, and applications for loans stopped, so the program ceased. After the war, the GI bill educated 8 million returning veterans for free. After the GI Bill program ceased in 1956, the Rotary Club started the program up again, but switched the programs from loans to scholarships. In 1967 the club started its iconic fundraiser “Pancake Day”, now called “Breakfast with the Bands”, which is held every March at the High School. The revenues from this fundraiser go to scholarships.
In addition to the fundraisers, the club’s Foundation has received donations from 15 major donors. The Rotary Foundation account has approximately $2 million dollars and is invested judiciously through the professional stewardship of the Westfield Foundation. In addition to these two sources of income, the Rotary Club administers several scholarships for the Westfield Foundation. In 1971 Mr. Wallace asked the Rotary to administer Scholarships for his estate. At that time, Rutgers tuition for a full year was $500, so the club issued 10 full year scholarships to Rutgers with the Wallace Funds. The Wallace Pool at the Westfield Y was donated by him. This year Wallace scholarships worth $35,000 were awarded. The Rotary Foundation also administers the Pollack Scholarship Fund, started in 1991, which is invested separately through Wells Fargo. In 2005, long time Rotarian Harry Sturcke donated $600,000 to the Rotary Club Foundation for the purpose of scholarships and community grants. Other funds administered by Rotary and invested in the Westfield Foundation include the Gerdes funds, Read Law and Read Health Scholarships. Chester Gerdes was a long time Rotarian. Bob Read was also a long time Rotarian and was chair of the Rotary scholarship committee for many years.
Rotary is a group of successful business men and women who want to give back to the community. Its primary focus is to be a Service club, but also includes some business networking. The Rotary Club of Westfield is 102 years old. The main projects this year were to help homeless veterans, to feed the “food insecure” in town, and to help the St. Joe’s Soup Kitchen in Elizbeth. International projects include collecting bicycles for the third world; building and supplying a medical clinic in Nigeria; and collecting books for the same Nigerian town, and providing dialysis machines in India.
The Rotary Club of Westfield meets the first three Tuesdays of each month for lunch at noon, at Limani Seafood Grill on North Ave. Guests are always welcome. For information check out the website westfieldrotary.com or contact club secretary Dr. D. Michael Hart by email at drmhart@yahoo.com
