Putnam County Rotary presents Senior Awards

Five scholarships were awarded

Recipients of PC Rotary Awards include (L-R, seated): Faith Pack, Erin Brooker and Linzee Fay and (L-R, standing): Eli Postula and Isac Alvarado, joined by PC Rotary Scholarship Chair Scott Shore and Club President Brenda Bickerman.

The Putnam County Rotary presented five awards to high school seniors at the PCHS awards assembly May 11.

Each award recognized academic achievement, extracurricular involvement and community service.

The club’s Knute Hammel Memorial Scholarship award recognizes a student intending to further their education in business practices. This year’s $500 award was presented to Isac Alvarado, who will be pursuing a degree in accounting at IVCC.

The club’s Bill Klein Memorial Scholarship recognizes a student whose qualities include the drive and determination past club president Bill Klein demonstrated to be the keys to personal, as well as vocational success during his life. The $500 award was earned by Eli Postula, who intends to pursue college education and a career in electrical engineering.

A third scholarship was added this year in memory of Dan Ramirez, a Rotarian and volunteer. Ramirez’s service to schools as technology director became invaluable to teachers and students relying on remote learning and innovative approaches to instruction during the past two years.

Ramirez died in a single-car accident on Oct. 23, 2021, after a full day of volunteer effort in Rotary and other projects. Ramirez’s family, friends and members of the community helped raise the funds to launch this new scholarship fund.

The $500 award recognizes a student’s vision to use computer technology to make the world a better place. Recipient Faith Pack intends to study computer-aided engineering and design at IVCC. The award is renewable as her studies advance.

Committed to vocational service, the Rotary also annually recognizes a student who has excelled in the school’s work-school cooperative program.

Linzee Fay received this year’s $500 scholarship award for her internship experience with Route 71 Auto Body in Granville. The employer is recognized with a plaque in appreciation for their student guidance and participation in the co-op project.

The Rotary’s final award honors a student whose community service and student leadership accomplishments earns the club’s highest honor for student “service above self.”

Erin Brooker earned the honor, having participated in many service and student leadership activities all while participating in sports, working part-time jobs and maintaining the school’s highest academic honors. During her senior year, Brooker was PCHS Interact President.

The club also presented a donation to the Rotary-sponsored PCHS Interact Club.