CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Three Clarion County students were recently selected for four Clarion Rotary Scholarships.(Rotarian Alexis Burns, Scholarship Winners Phylicia Hockman, Wyatt Baker, and Avari Schwabenbauer, and Rotarian Matt Lerch.)
“These three scholars have achieved not only academic brilliance, but also embraced Rotary International’s spirit of Service Above Self,” said Matt Lerch, chair of a scholarship committee that included Rick Forbes, Jon Williams, Phil Frese, and Alexis Burns.
“With so many qualified applicants in a field of high achieving Clarion County students, the selection process was difficult and arduous. Placing heavy emphasis on volunteerism, the four selected students stood out amongst their peers due to not only their academic excellence but also their altruistic yearning to help others as is the spirit of Rotary International.”
The Amy Davis Scholarship Award is annually awarded to two Clarion County High School Seniors for $1,000.00 apiece. This year Clarion Rotary had 10 applicants. The applicants qualified by placing in the top 20 percent of their class, having maintained a QPA of 3.0 or higher from ninth thru 12thgrade. These applicants also provided evidence of active service to their school and community through participation in both extracurricular school activities and organizations and civic and community activities and organizations.
This scholarship was awarded to Phylicia Hockman of Clarion Area and Wyatt Baker of Clarion-Limestone.
Hockman had a 4.14 QPA and was Salutatorian at Clarion Area. She volunteered for the Backpack program for two years and is a member of the National Honor Society. She was a State 800 runner for two years, team captain, and an integral part of Clarion’s first girls team to attend states. She plans to attend Shippensburg University as a pre-med major with an interest in pediatrics.
Baker had a 4.14 QPA and graduated fifth in his class. He volunteered for Friendship bags, YMCA, and mathematics tutor. He was a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council Rep, and plans to attend Clarion University and major in Human Resources Management.
Avari Schwabenbauer of North Clarion was selected for two Rotary scholarships, the Clarion University Scholarship and the Trueman Mills RYLA scholarship. Schwabenbauer had a 3.51 QPA, was 11th in her class, and was a member of Junior Historians, Youth Council, National Honor Society, Farmington Township Fire Department, and volunteered as a tutor.
She also completed dual enrollment at CUP, California, and University of Pittsburgh Bradford. She is a Sage College Scholarship recipient, a member of Track and Field, Volleyball, and Academic Sports League, and Academic Decathlon. She plans to attend Clarion University.
The Clarion University Scholarship is awarded to one Clarion County High School Senior who attends Clarion University in the fall. The criteria for the scholarship match the Amy Davis Scholarship criteria. The $1,000.00 scholarship will be applied to her fall tuition through the Clarion University Foundation.
The $1,000.00 Trueman Mills RYLA Scholarship is awarded to a Clarion County Senior who attended RYLA the previous summer. Five applicants competed for this award this year. The criteria also matches the Amy Davis criteria, as well, except the QPA must be 3.5 or higher instead of 3.0 or higher. An essay on their experience at RYLA was also included.
