Rotary Club awards two $1,000 scholarships
The Rotary Club of Waynesburg presented $1,000 scholarships to two recent graduates of West Greene High School.
Receiving the scholarships were Katelynn H. Finnegan, who plans to attend California University of Pennsylvania and major in social work, and Jonathan Coote, who plans to pursue a degree in biology/pre-med at Hillsdale College.
The recipients were selected based on several factors, including writing an essay on what the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self,” meant to them, as well as demonstrating leadership in the community through his or her actions.
Additionally, all the applicants must be a resident of Greene County, must have been accepted at a post-secondary school of education and had to provide two letters of recommendation.
While at West Greene, Finnegan was secretary of the National Honor Society, secretary of the science club, a member of student government, senior planning committee and is a class officer.
She was a mock trial participant, winning two best witness awards, and was a member of the prom and homecoming courts. She also is a Richhill Township volunteer firefighter.
Her community service activities included volunteering for American Red Cross blood drives, volunteering for Toys for Tots, and in addition to being a volunteer firefighter, she also is a member of the ladies auxiliary, the fundraising committee and is a certified professional rescuer.
Coote was a member of the National Honor Society, a four-year varsity letter winner in track and a three-year letter winner in basketball.
He studied Chinese Mandarin using Carnegie Mellon University curriculum taught by a personal Taiwanese tutor.
He has played piano for 10 years and pipe organ for two years.
His community and volunteer activities include providing the underserved (elderly, disabled and mentally challenged) with music therapy and volunteering as a United Methodist Bible school assistant.
He is a member of the Waynesburg Bible Chapel youth group, Greene County Young Life, and was a member of the Greene County 4-H Swine Club.