Five students who attend Clarendon Hills Middle School and Hinsdale Central High School received the Rotary Club of Hinsdales Youth Merit Award Friday, March 5. This recognition acknowledges exceptional high school and middle school students for their scholarship, leadership and service.
The Rotary Club of Hinsdale honors students from area public and private schools at award ceremonies eight times each school year. Staff members at Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale Middle School, Clarendon Hills Middle School, Hinsdale Adventist Academy and St. Isaac Jogues School nominate students. The award winners attend a Rotary meeting with their parents, address the club members about their activities and interests, and receive a certificate to commemorate the occasion. Middle school students also invite an influential teacher.
The sixth Youth Merit Award presentation of the 2009-10 school year was held Friday, March 5. Merit awards went to the following students:
- Chelsea Celistan, Senior, Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale resident
- Jenna Blodgett, Grade 8, Clarendon Hills Middle School, Clarendon Hills resident
- Mary Goers, Grade 8, Clarendon Hills Middle School, Clarendon Hills resident
- Laura Nelson, Grade 8, Clarendon Hills Middle School, Hinsdale resident
- Bowen Ng, Grade 8, Clarendon Hills Middle School, Clarendon Hills resident.
The Youth Merit Award program is the Hinsdale Rotary Clubs way of encouraging leadership, scholarship and service in our public and private middle school and high school students, said Jerry Cerniak, Hinsdale Rotary president. We are always impressed with the talent and accomplishments of these young people and are happy to recognize them throughout the school year.
Rotarian and Hinsdale resident Carolyn Snyder coordinates the Merit Award program. The Rotary Club of Hinsdale meets weekly at 12:15 p.m. in Burr Ridge. The club, founded in 1959, consists of men and women of diverse backgrounds whose personal commitment to service ranges from support of local youth programs to assistance for the poor and sick across the globe. To ensure a cross section of career experience and community representation, membership is by invitation. For more information on the club, visit www.hinsdalerotary.org.
