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Rotary Club awards scholarships, welcomes new members

Writer's picture: Ron GiofuRon Giofu
Rotary Club awards scholarships, welcomes new members

The Rotary Club of Amherstburg met two scholarship recipients and welcomed two members to its ranks at its most recent meeting.


The local Rotary Club awards two scholarships annually to graduating high school students.


The Hazen Price Memorial Scholarship is awarded every year to a graduating high school student who excels in a field of science as well as contributes to the overall wellness of their high school community or the town. The financial reward is named for Hazen Price, who joined the Rotary Club of Amherstburg in Nov. 1948 and remained a Rotarian until he died in December 2022.


The June (Roadhouse) Paisley Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating North Star High School student “who has achieved academic standards, gives back to the community, and participates in sports and demonstrates a financial need.” It is named for June Paisley, who attended General Amherst High School between 1939-42, served in World War II, participated in sports and enjoyed giving back to the community. Her daughter Sandra is a current Rotarian.


Recent North Star graduates Addyson Walker and Daniel Rufo were at the meeting with Walker being the Hazen Price scholarship recipient and Rufo the June (Roadhouse) Paisley recipient.


Walker said she has always wanted to work in medicine and medical research.


She saw the chance to apply for the scholarship online and made sure she did so. Walker is headed to Wayne State University in Michigan and their large medical campus was an attraction for her as she goes there for neuroscience.


It will take eight years to become a full medical doctor, she added.


Rufo said the scholarship means a lot, noting his parents have three children in post-secondary education as his twin brother will be going to St. Clair College while his sister goes to Western University in London.


“They work very hard but it’s hard to pay for three kids in university,” said Rufo, who will be studying business at the University of Windsor.


Rufo added he has been working for four years and also invested in the stock market. His first stock purchase made a profit for him, and that fueled his passion for business.


Sally Holden and Wanda Lawhead became members of the Rotary Club of Amherstburg, being inducted and welcomed by incoming president Jeremy Warnock. Holden is not new to Rotary, being a Rotarian in Halifax for 27 years before recently moving to Amherstburg.


Holden became a member of the Rotary-affiliated Interact Club in Halifax in 1990 before becoming a full Rotarian in 1997. She said she and her husband are looking to retire and they wanted to pick a community that had a Rotary Club.


“I like that there is a lot going on,” she said, of why she joined the Amherstburg club. “There’s lots of hands-on work and sweat equity.”


Holden believes the local club is active and that attracted her to it.


Lawhead had been a Rotarian before and said now is the time to come back to it.


“I knew I had to be back,” she said. “I’m looking forward to taking part in all of the activities again.”


Serving the community is important to her, said Lawhead, and thinks Rotary is a good way to do that.


“It’s been my whole life,” said Lawhead. “What better way to do that than being a member of the Rotary Club of Amherstburg?”

Rotary Club awards scholarships, welcomes new members

By Ron Giofu

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