If someone in your household could use college-scholarship money, the Rotary Club of West Seattle wants to remind you today that two more days remain to get applications in for two scholarships they’re offering:

APRIL 1 is the deadline for the Gambriell (up to $7400) and the Past Presidents ($6,000) scholarship applications. Go to westseattlerotary.org, click on scholarships, and follow the directions. Graduating seniors who live in the West Seattle area or go to school in West Seattle may apply for both, and for the Past Presidents Scholarship, you can actually be a graduating senior or someone who needs to get back to finish their degree!. If you have any questions, please contact seillusions@gmail.com HURRY!

The Rotary Club of West Seattle has three scholarship programs, and two are open to community applicants. If you’re interested, it’s application time right now, according to this announcement from the Rotary:

Rotary Club of West Seattle is now accepting applications for Two different college scholarships to be awarded this spring. A requirement for both is that the person needs to be living in our local community or attending school in our local community.

The Gambriell Scholarship is designed for those who might otherwise not be able to attend college and is available to graduating high school seniors . The money available for the Gambriell is approximately $7,000 and can be awarded to one recipient or it could be split among two or three deserving youth.

The Past Presidents Scholarship is also available for graduating seniors along with others who have attended college and wish to finish or continue their education. The Rotary Club will select only one winner to receive that $6,000 scholarship.

Applications can be found at westseattlerotary.org. Click on the Scholarships tab and full instructions and requirements can be found there. The deadline is April 1, so make sure to email before the deadline!

That’s one of two new Peace Poles installed around the peninsula by the Rotary Club of West Seattle

(Photos courtesy Rotary Club of West Seattle)

The Rotary Club of West Seattle continues honoring local students for their achievements, and with this announcement, points out that honors go to students in alternative programs as well as conventional high-school paths:

Twice during this school year 2022-23, Fall and Spring, the West Seattle Rotary has presented a Student of the Semester (SoS) Award to a student chosen by the Southwest Youth and Family Services (SWYFS) GED Prep Program. These are outstanding students who are expected to earn their GED by the end of the school year and go on to an accredited post-secondary program.

They receive an award certificate, $100, and a chance to be chosen as the SWYFS GED Prep Student of the Year (SoY). The SoY winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship from West Seattle Rotary during a ceremony on June 13th. On April 11th, West Seattle Rotarian Alan Mitchell presented the Spring SoS award to Jessica Delker during the Club’s lunchtime meeting at the West Seattle Golf Course. She was introduced by Case Manager Amanda Alvarado and presented a brief, highly evocative bio.

Jessica was also accompanied by her 11-month-old son Joel (above), her mother, and her partner.

Jessica exemplifies the high potential of teenagers and young adults who are enabled by SWYFS to follow an unconventional pathway to a high-school degree, college, and career, despite daunting life circumstances. West Seattle Rotary worked with Amanda and other leaders in the SWYFS GED Prep Program to tailor the SoS and SoY awards for its students’ special needs.

You can read more about the SWYFS – based in North Delridge – education programs here.

If someone in your household could use scholarship money and hasn’t yet applied for the Gambriell or Past Presidents scholarships offered by the Rotary Club of West Seattle, we have word the deadline’s been extended – you have one more week to apply, until April 7th. Each is a $6,000 scholarship, and the application information is in the announcement we published last month.

The Rotary Club of West Seattle has honored its February “Students of the Month,” who are now eligible for scholarships presented annually. Here’s the announcement sent by the club’s Alan Mitchell:

At four of West Seattle Rotary’s weekly meetings during 2022-23 (in November, December, February and March), SoM Awards are being presented for each of the three high schools in West Seattle: Chief Sealth International High, Summit Atlas High, and West Seattle High. For each school, a counselor introduces the awardee, the awardee presents a personalized bio-sketch, and Rotarians have a brief Q&A opportunity.

Each Awardee receives $100, a SoM Award Certificate, and the opportunity to be their school’s SoY awardee, chosen in early April by their school from among their SoMs. By early May, from among the three school’s SoYs, the Youth Services Committee of West Seattle Rotary will choose one overall West Seattle Rotary SoY. That overall SoY winner will receive a $6,000 scholarship. Each of the two runners-up will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The 3rd SoM presentation event was held on February 14th at the West Seattle Golf Club during West Seattle Rotary’s luncheon meeting. Rotarians, parents, and guests were impressed and inspired by these wonderful awardees and their counselors.

Chief Sealth International High

Counselor – Krista Rillo
Student – Franklin Jimenez-Ortega
Dad – Marco

Summit Atlas High

Counselor – Keenan Grayson
Student – Jonathan Maldonado Amaya

West Seattle High

Counselor – Kinsey Hedeen
Student – William Fralia
Mom – Tomoko

Need college money? The Rotary Club of West Seattle might be able to help. Here’s the reminder we just received:

WEST SEATTLE ROTARY SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE –
APPLY NOW (deadline April 1st 2023)

As in past years, West Seattle Rotary is pleased to announce that two higher education scholarship programs are available to applicants who meet the criteria:

Gambriell. The Gambriell Scholarship awards $6,000 in total to one or more residents of West Seattle who meet the following criteria:

ü Seeking admission to or enrolled in an accredited post-secondary educational program.
ü Strong financial need (documentation must be provided) — would not otherwise be able to attend college without this scholarship.

Past Presidents. The Past Presidents Scholarship awards $6,000 to a student who meets any one of the following four conditions:

I. Graduating senior from a high school in the West Seattle area and wishes to earn a 4-year degree.
II. Lives in the West Seattle area, graduating from a high school outside of the West Seattle area, and wishes to earn a 4-year degree.
III. Lives in the West Seattle area and transferring from a 2-year program to a 4-year college/university bachelor’s degree program.
IV. Lives in the West Seattle area, recently earned a bachelor’s degree, and wishes to work toward a higher degree.

Go to westseattlerotary.org/scholarships and click on the “Download Gambriell application” and/or “Download Past Presidents’ application” link.

These two programs are in addition to West Seattle Rotary’s Student of the Year and Cruzen scholarship programs and are open to Student of the Year candidates.

Local students got an assist again this year from the volunteers and donors of the Pencil Me In For Kids program. Here’s the recap from the Rotary Club of West Seattle:

The beginning of school year 2022-23 may have been delayed, but the West Seattle Rotary Pencil Me in for Kids (PMIFK) program was able to deliver almost all of the requested supplies before September 7th. This is the 27th year for the PMIFK program.

Rotarian Sue Lindblom of the now retired Illusions Hair Design and her team there began the program in her business. After a few years, it was taken-in by West Seattle Rotary as an annual project. The goal has always been to provide local area public elementary schools with the specific school supplies they know their students will need in the Fall. Each school is different and so no two “Wish Lists” are the same. Twelve schools were contacted and nine chose to participate.

There was considerable support these past few years from the Fauntleroy United Church of Christ members, and also this year from businesses in their area. With the on-going support of Staples at Westwood Village, thanks to Assistant Manager Robert, Rotary received 1,000 school kits along with very deep discounts on all the other items purchased. West Seattle Rotarians were all smiles when delivery days finally arrived and they knew those supplies were going to help local kids through this upcoming school year.

Over two days, the PMIFK Team picked-up most of the supplies at the Westwood Village Staples, delivered them to American Legion Post 160 in West Seattle for sorting into nine school groups, and then delivered eight grouped supplies to Louisa Boren STEM K-8 as a pick-up point for that school and seven other schools (the exception being one delivery directly to Roxhill). Pictured at Boren are (l-r) Andrew Coghill and Rotarians Keith Hughes, John Enger, Martha Sidlo, and Tom Nychay.

For more information on Pencil Me In For Kids or the Rotary Club of West Seattle, go to westseattlerotary.org or send email to pencilkids53@gmail.com.

(WSB photos)

The newest Peace Pole planted by the Rotary Club of West Seattle now stands in front of C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) after a dedication ceremony this morning.

(The sunflowers symbolize hope for peace in Ukraine)

Keith Hughes (above left) from the Rotary explained that this dedication is special because it was arranged to happen on the United Nations International Day of Peace. He read a message from the Rotary International’s peace project chair, observing that “…a single act (can) start a chain of peace. It begins with us.” In this case, it began with C & P proprietors Pete and Cameron Moores (second/third from left) – requesting a Peace Pole for their establishment’s front terrace. Martha Sidlo (second from right) from the Rotary expressed hope that the Peace Pole will spark conversation among both coffee-shop customers and passersby, inspiring them to talk about peace. Promoting peace is one of the Rotary’s seven areas of focus. A special guest for this dedication was Nao Valente (above right), who works with the international Peace Pole Project (and has one outside her home near Lowman Beach). These are among more than 300,000 Peace Poles around the world.

Each pole is decorated and inscribed differently; this one carries its message of peace in Hawaiian, Japanese, Lushootseed, and English – and a solar-powered light on top. The Rotary has at least five more to install around West Seattle; the next scheduled dedication will be in November along Fauntleroy Creek. Earlier this month, we covered the ceremony marking the installation of one in a new Children’s Peace Garden outside Fauntleroy Church/YMCA.