On June 4th the Rotary Club of Belleville hosted its second Annual Graduating Student Bursary Awards Luncheon at Capers, recognizing five students from area high schools for their exceptional volunteer service. Since the 1970's, the Rotary Club's bursary program has recognized high school students who embody the Rotary motto of Service Above Self. Each student received a $400 bursary and a framed certificate celebrating their contributions. This special event was organized by the Chair of the Student Bursary Program at the Rotary Club of Belleville, Jill Vanderkooy. President Tracey Vandervoort quoted “when we celebrate young people for their accomplishments, big or small, we help build confidence, inspire future growth and show them that their contributions matter”.
If you missed hearing these presentations, you missed alot of WOW! Included here are some of the highlights of each student's presentation and the school they represent. By recognizing these students' efforts, we encourage them to believe in their potential for tomorrow. Rotarian Jill reminded the Club that each of these students were chosen by their teacher(s) through a committee process based on their acts of giving back to the community. How to describe their accomplishments….impressive is not enough!
Ayla McCallum, Centennial High School – in thinking about what to say, Ayla realized that most ideas didn't start as big plans, but from really small moments that slowly grew over time. She started a backpack program at school and the first year, it was just one backpack. The next year it was three backpacks. Now the project includes 30 to 40 backpacks every year for students from kindergarten all the way to high school. What Ayla remembers most is that the idea meant someone was going to school feeling a little more prepared, a little more included and hopefully a little more confident. Ayla joined Student Council in Grade 9 and four years later is the Vice-President, something she never imagined, but now she sees as the biggest and most amazing changes for her over those 4 years. Helping with meals for the unhoused in the community reminded Ayla how important simple acts of kindness can be, with a warm meal, a conversation or just taking taking the time to show someone care and respect. Service Above Self doesn't always mean doing something huge or extraordinary, but sometimes it's the small things that stay with people the longest. Ayla's goal is to be the kind of person who shows up for others, supports the people around her and helps others feel like they truly belong.
Zoya Wannamaker, Eastside Secondary School-- started her Rotary journey at a young age as her mom was the President of the Rotary Club of Trenton. This connection allowed Zoya to take part in the youth exchange program, travelling to Warsaw, Poland and becoming involved in the Friedrich Chopin Rotary Club. This experience taught Zoya to see firsthand the global impact Rotary has around the world, even in the most unexpected places. Once back home, Zoya participated in many fundraising events with the Trenton Rotary Club and felt as though her commitment to community involvement had grown considerably. Currently she volunteers twice a week at the hospital and hopes to increase those hours over the summer. Through her volunteering, Zoya connected with unexpected people and opportunities to build her impact in helping others. Zoya's first stepping stone in her journey to development her community mindfulness came through Rotary, inspired by all the work they do. There are groups of people everywhere who share her same goals and she is grateful to the Rotary Club of Belleville for the Service Above Self award.
Emily Esperanzate, Nicholson Catholic College – Emily presented thoughtfully on what Service Above Self means to her, trying to understand through action, not words. She has chalked up over 1,000 volunteer hours with a number of organizations including Student Council, Relay for Life, International Student Navigator, Terry Fox Foundation, helping at BGH on the front desk, in oncology and ICU. Emily sees volunteering and leadership as one. Volunteering is leadership, rooted in the community through generosity of time and effort, caring for others. Service should be natural and part of human nature and she feels privileged to have the time and opportunity to do that. Lessons learned? Empathy before assumptions. Listening before leading. Small actions matter and people remember how you made them feel. When Emily volunteers, she feels colourful! Her future plan is to pursue medicine and she is on her way.
Jonah Harrison, Quinte Christian High School – one of the biggest parts of Jonah's life was swimming, working as a lifeguard and swimming instructor, meeting many people and developing friendships, helping people become more confident and safe in the water. The highlight of this was an opportunity to help coach swimming for Special Olympics. At first Jonah was nervous and felt under qualified, but those worries disappeared the day he met the athletes who welcomed him as though they had known him forever. Everyone was supportive of each other. A team effort. Sometimes people think making a difference has to mean doing something huge, but Jonah realized it was the smaller things that matter most. Encouraging somebody. Including somebody. Showing up for people and making them feel valued. Service changes the person serving. Jonah saw all that and more every week with Special Olympics. He was taught patience, kindness, positivity and what true teamwork really looks like. Service Above Self is not just something you do. It's a way of living, wherever life takes you and for Jonah that will be to Queen's to study Health Sciences and become a doctor.
Taylar Stamper, St. Theresa Catholic Secondary School – Taylar began her journey to volunteer when she was quite young, but obviously very observant when it came to noticing opportunities to start small and build from that platform. It all started with one Happy Meal from McDonald's and from there went to the Firefighters' Toy Drive at Christmas. By that time, Taylar was earning an allowance by doing some chores at home and she used that money to buy toys to donate, being frugal and shopping for items on sale. Taylar has volunteered with the Humane Society as well as the Relay for Life and Terry Fox run every year. Wanting a career in the medical field, volunteering at the hospital became important and allows Taylar to build on experiences that will help her down the road. For Taylar, volunteering or helping others is not just something done for high school credits, but something that should be done naturally. Service Above Self is rewarding. Every little bit helps.