Students Earn Hinsdale Rotary's Youth Merit Award

Submitted by the Rotary Club of Hinsdale.

Hinsdale, IL - Six students who attend Hinsdale Central High School, Notre Dame, St. Isaac Jogues and Hinsdale Adventist Academy received the Rotary Club of Hinsdale’s Youth Merit Award Friday, March 11.

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, Notre Dame, St. Isaac Jogues and Hinsdale Adventist Academy 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.

The following students earned the award this month:

• Emma Stapleton, Senior, Hinsdale Central High School, Clarendon Hills resident
• Sophia Cacciatore, Grade 8, St. Isaac Jogues School, Hinsdale resident
• Ally Surowiec, Grade 8, Notre Dame School, Clarendon Hills resident
• Rachel Padgitt, Grade 8, Notre Dame School, Westmont resident
• Anneleise Tessalee, Grade 8, Hinsdale Adventist Academy, Westmont resident
• August “AJ” Martz, Grade 8, Hinsdale Adventist Academy, Darien resident

President 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.”

Photo, left to right: Ally Surowiec - Notre Dame School, Rachel Padgitt - Notre Dame, Emma Stapleton – Hinsdale Central, Anneleise Tessalee –Hinsdale Adventist Academy, Sophia Cacciatore –St. Isaac Jogues and August Martz –Hinsdale Adventist Academy