Zachary Balsinger, David Zelinski, Abhijeet Mulgund, Abigail Hecht, 2015 Scholarship recipients.
 
The Centerville Rotary Club’s Educational Foundation provides scholarships to graduating seniors from the Centerville/Washington Township community.  Criteria for these awards is based on financial need, participation in service oriented projects and potential for success in college.
 
For 40 years, the Centerville Rotary Educational Foundation has given scholarships to graduating seniors at Alter and Centerville High Schools. Since 1975, we have awarded over $200,000.00 in scholarship money. 
Monies for this project are raised from our annual Pancake Breakfast which is held the fourth Saturday in October at Centerville High School.  
 
This year, 19 seniors from Alter and Centerville High School applied to our Foundation for scholarships. Because of the need and exceptional characteristics of those applicants, our club awarded 8 scholarships this year totaling $16,000, our highest number and amount of awards to date.  
 
During our interviews with the students, most remembered receiving a dictionary or thesaurus from the Centerville Rotary Club when they were in third or fifth grade. So this year, we added a special element to the scholarship presentation. Each student received a book especially selected for them because of an interest, career or educational goal described to the committee during the interview. 
 
Zachary Balsinger, a Centerville High School football player, impressed the committee with his poise and sense of humor; service to the East Dayton Food pantry; and the statement “I will not disappoint.”  He wowed us with a reference to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby!  His parents are David and Ruth Balsinger. Zach will attend the University of Cincinnati to major in accounting. He was given the book, Outliers by Malcom Gladwell.
 
Abigail Hecht is also a Centerville High School athlete, a cross-country and track enthusiast. Abby’s calm, dedication to hard-work and honesty captivated the committee as she described her enthusiasm for running; her commitment to education; and loyalty to her family and community.  Abby will attend The Ohio State University and major in health sciences with the goal of becoming a physical therapist. Her mom, Patricia Hecht, attended the luncheon with her daughter. Abby was given the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.
 
Abhijeet Mulgund is a Centerville High School musician and a National Merit Finalist. His academic awards coupled with his service projects which include the Asian American Youth Council of Dayton, Chemistry Buddies, Fysics Friends, India Club and Habitat for Humanity put him in the committee’s scholarship winner circle.  Abhijeet ‘s parents, Anand Digambar and Apurana Anand Mulgund came to the luncheon with their son. He will attend Rice University to study engineering with a focus on entrepreneurship. Abhijeet was given the book Tesla: inventor of the electrical age by W. Bernard Carlson
 
David Zelinski is also a scholar athlete and was captain of the baseball team at Alter High School. His faith guided him to the Peer Ministry service program at Alter. His references call him a ‘solid citizen who is respectful, responsible and resourceful.’ David is the genuine thing!  He will attend the University of Dayton and major in mechanical engineering. David’s parents, Theresa and David Zelinski, attended the luncheon with their son. A Year of Mercy with Pope Francis by Pope Francis was the title selected for David by the committee.
 
Four of our winners could not be with us at the recent Rotary Club meeting. Youngjun Park and Aditi Singh are traveling out of the country with their families to South Korea and India, respectively. Cassandra Rogers had a last-minute opportunity to take a back-packing trip out west. William Nichols was required to be at Camp Kern, his place of summer employment. 
 
William Nichols is another scholar athlete who represented Centerville High School on their hockey, lacrosse and swim team. His service projects included Lunch Buddies, Circle of Friends, youth lacrosse clinics and work at Camp Kern. His personal references cite his focus, humanity and determination, all three of which were recognized by the committee during his interview. William will attend the University of Oregon to major in environmental studies and pursue a career in the forestry. A Walk in the Woods: rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson was the title selected for William by the committee.
 
Youngjun Park is a Centerville High School graduate who will attend Case Western Reserve University to study biomedical engineering this fall. His scholastic activities included math, French and debate clubs. He played violin for multiple orchestras including Centerville High School, Dayton Philharmonic Youth and the Southwest Regional. He received numerous awards for his musical accomplishments including Best Performer and Outstanding Solo. Youngsun shared his love of music and science with younger students by serving as a violin tutor; volunteering at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery; and judging the Normandy Elementary School’s science fairs. He also volunteered at his church, area nursing homes and Kettering Hospital.  Better: a surgeon’s notes on performance by Atul Gawande was the title selected for Youngjun by the committee.
 
Cassandra Rogers wrote in her application essay that she ‘loves forests, streams, meadows, lakes and anything outdoors.’ Her plan is to attend the State University of New York and major in Environmental Science and Forestry in the Conservation Biology program. At Centerville High School, Cassandra participated in both local and state-wide soil judging contests and ‘envirothon’ competitions. She placed first in the Individual District Soli Judging Competition in 2015. Her community service activities reflect her passion for our natural world and include the Centerville-Washington Township Park District Seed collection program; Eco-Buddies; and Winter Wood Day Camp. She also volunteered at the Dayton Veterans’ Hospital New Year’s Celebration. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard was the title selected for Cassandra by the committee.
 
Aditi Singh is a Centerville High School graduate who will attend Purdue University and major in neurobiology and physiology with the goal of becoming a medical doctor. In high school, she was a member of both the Spanish and National Honor Societies; the speech and debate team; and the track and field squad. Aditi is an AP Honors Scholar. Her community service work included mentoring to young flute players; volunteering at Miami Valley Hospital; and being a member of both the Octagon Club and Spirit Chain.  Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: a true tale of intrigue and innovation at the dawn of modern medicine by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz was the title selected for Aditi by the committee.
 
Congratulations to this years scholarship recipients!
 
Sponsors