Students Earn Hinsdale Rotary's November Youth Merit Award

Submitted by the Rotary Club of Hinsdale.

Five students who attend Hinsdale Central High School and Hinsdale Middle School received the Rotary Club of Hinsdale’s Youth Merit Award Friday, Nov. 6.

This award recognizes extraordinary high school and middle school students for services to their community and classmates, leadership qualities and academic achievements.

The Rotary Club of Hinsdale honors students from area public and private schools at award ceremonies several times each school year. Rotarian Cheri Vana, coordinates the program. Staff members at Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale Middle School and Clarendon Hills Middle School nominate students.

The award winners attend a Rotary luncheon, address the club members about their activities and interests, and receive a certificate to commemorate the occasion. The honorees attend with their parents and invite an influential teacher.

This month’s teachers were Mrs. Lisa Albano and Ms. Amanda Kloster from Hinsdale Middle School, Mrs. Ele Santini and Mrs. Mary Sprengnether from Clarendon Hills Middle School.

The following students earned the award this month:

• Rohith Balusu, Senior, Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale resident
• Lucy Fischer, Grade 8, Hinsdale Middle School, Hinsdale resident
• Matthew Phillips, Grade 8, Hinsdale Middle School, Hinsdale resident
• Riya Ghai, Grade 8, Clarendon Hills Middle School, Hinsdale resident
• Lorenzo Jennings, Grade 8, Clarendon Hills Middle School, Hinsdale resident

President Dr. Parsons stated, “The Rotary Youth Merit Awards recognize and honor middle and high school students who are pace-setters among their peers. Their all around excellence in academic performance, community service, the arts and athletics is amazing and inspiring to our club members and deserves recognition in the broader local community. We are proud to be able to acknowledge these promising young leaders.”

The Rotary Club of Hinsdale meets weekly at 12:15 p.m. at the Community House in Hinsdale. The club, founded in 1959, consists of men and women of diverse backgrounds whose personal commitment to service ranges from support of local youth programs to assistance for the poor and sick across the globe. For more information, visit hinsdalerotary.org. Our Rotary Motto is “Service above Self.”