Long Neck Sunrise Rotary awards scholarships

Members of the high school graduating class of 2020 are experiencing a reality that no one could have predicted just a few short months ago. Their senior year will be remembered for far different reasons than most remember.

With its $1,000 Service Above Self Scholarship awards, the Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club has given four graduating seniors something to celebrate.

Begun last year, the scholarships are awarded to Indian River and Sussex Central high school graduates demonstrating the combination of a solid academic record, financial need and a strong resume of community service. Those students who were members of the Rotary’s Interact and Enviro-Act clubs would also be given preferential consideration, should all other qualifications be equal.

This year the club has awarded $1,000 scholarships to Sussex Central seniors Christopher Lombardi and Emma Evan, and Indian River seniors Maddison Olley and Kaila McCabe. Their scholarships can be sent to the college they will be attending for tuition costs or used to defray expenses the student might incur for computers and books.

“We had such a difficult time making our selection,” said Judy Hall, the Long Neck Sunrise Rotarian who managed the application and award process. “We had seven candidates from Indian River and four from Sussex Central, all of whom exhibited outstanding characteristics. We are very happy to be able to help these students pursue their dream.”

The Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club is currently meeting virtually and three club members worked with blinded applications and a ranking system to reach a decision. Students were recently notified of the decision.

Award winner Christopher Lombardi was captain of the football team at Sussex Central and volunteered for Autism Delaware. He plans to attend Salisbury University with becoming a state police officer or a fish and wildlife officer.

Sussex Central Student Athlete Emma Evan plans to attend Clemson University where she will major in psychology and accounting with a goal of becoming a criminal psychologist with the FBI. In addition to participating in track and cross country, Emma is an altar server and lector at St. Ann’s Church. She serves on the Sussex County Philanthropy Board, and works with Athletes Serving Athletes and Best Buddies, among other activities.

Indian River graduating senior Maddison Olley is a member of the Enviro-Act Club and will attend the University of Tampa Honors Program or the University of Maryland where she will study neuroscience with the ultimate goal of becoming a physician with the specialty of pediatric neurology. Maddison has been a varsity cheerleader, a member of the concert and marching bands, a participant in Academic Challenge. She also has volunteered with Night to Shine special needs dance as well as toy and food drives.

Kaila McCabe is also a member of the Enviro-Act club at Indian River High School, and plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh or the University of Delaware with the goal of becoming a physician’s assistant in emergency medicine. A member of the swim team and cheerleading squad captain, Kaila also includes volunteer work with the children’s ministry at High Tide Church, being a Buddy at Night to Shine and a volunteer assistant cheer coach at Shore Pride All-stars.



Captions:
Top row left to right: Sussex Central Seniors Christopher Lombardi and Emma Evan
Bottom row:Indian River Seniors Kaila McCabe and Maddison Olley

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