Your news: Rotary awards vocational scholarships
Schaumburg AM Rotary Club recently awarded $4,000 in vocational scholarships to three local students pursuing careers in nursing, dental hygiene and automotive technology.
Rotary's vocational scholarship program, which is need-based rather than grade-based, is designed to provide financial assistance to students who desire to pursue either a certificate or degree in an accredited career or vocational program offered at either area community colleges or regional trade schools.
The award, is intended to support the education goals of the recipient and may be applied toward tuition or other expenses incurred in pursuit of that particular program. Upon completion, recipients must go directly into employment in their respective fields.
Jeff Winkenwerder, Schaumburg AM Rotary Club vocational service director, along with committee members Gary Bublitz, Mike Gollinger and Karen Maczka-Bishop, reviewed candidate applications, conducted personal interviews and selected scholarship recipients.
Winkenwerder stated that what he found most rewarding about the selection process was "meeting and learning more about each of the candidates. Awarding scholarship money is one thing, but understanding how this financial assistance impacts these individual's lives and their future is quite another."
Two of the three award recipients - Petar Petkov and Katie Pan - are recent graduates of Hoffman Estates High School and plan to pursue careers at Palatine's Harper College. Petkov, who resides in Hanover Park, is interested in automotive technology and is described by Winkenwerder as "a hardworking young man who has developed a plan for his future education and beyond."
Pan, who lives in Schaumburg and plans to study dental hygiene, was an Honor Roll student ranking in the top 5 percent of her class and came highly recommended by her teachers. Winkenwerder noted that Pan "is focused on earning a modest income, while also setting aside time to continue doing volunteer work which is very important to her."
The third winner is Hoffman Estates resident, Folasade (Sade) Famoroti, who is currently studying nursing at Harper College and expects to complete that program by May 2011. Winkenwerder described Famoroti as "outgoing and passionate, an outstanding candidate with both a polished demeanor and contagious smile." In addition to being a volunteer, mentor and full-time student, Famoroti is a single parent who also works at Northwest Community Hospital.
Schaumburg AM Rotary meets every Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. at Poplar Creek Country Club in Hoffman Estates. For more information about vocational scholarships contact Jeff Winkenwerder at (740) 707-6784 or visit schaumburgamrotary.org.
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