Now in its 100th-anniversary year, the Rotary Club of Madison concentrates its community service in a number of key areas. Some of Rotary’s most important activities focus on the development of youth. In addition to its extensive work with the High School’s Rotary-affiliated Interact club, each year Madison Rotary grants awards to outstanding local high school students.  The Club recently announced the recipients of two sets of annual awards.

First, Madison Rotary presented five $1,000 scholarship awards to high school seniors living in Madison.  The scholarship/award is based upon the students exemplifying Rotary’s motto “Service Above Self”. 

The winning students all have extensive volunteer service experience in providing service to others in a variety of programs and activities.  Among the many activities represented by these students are extensive work to help alleviate food insecurity, preparation of gift baskets for children in shelters, support of Rotary services, providing free tutoring during and after the pandemic and fundraising for cancer and children’s surgery causes. All students complete a written application and are selected in after personal interviews with Madison Rotary’s Scholarship Committee. This years’ winners include two of the student leaders of the school’s Interact club.

This years’ winning students are Gus Bowen, Evan Katz, Nina Kornchankul, Chloe Niceberg and Owen Weller. All are headed to college to major in changing fields such as pre-med and biomedical engineering.

In addition, each spring the Madison Rotary Club sponsors an essay competition known as the Laws of Life for Madison High School juniors. The purpose of the essay award project is to encourage students to explore their core values, such as honesty, perseverance, and compassion. Students are asked to select a maxim or 'Law of Life' such as 'honesty is the best policy' or 'No one knows what he can do until he tries,' and to write an essay explaining how the character and ethical implications in the maxim apply to their lives.  By encouraging students to reflect on key life principles and values, the contest promotes and rewards the development of the good character that is a core Rotary value.

In the essay contest, Rotary awards prizes ranging from $150 to $1000. This year’s winners are Sofia DelaCruz, Ava DiCarlo, Emma Dooley, Adian Drew, Nathaly Faccio, Katherine Finnegan, and Payton Martins. Their outstanding and thoughtful essays indicate that a bright future awaits them all.

Community service and high ethical values are cornerstone principles of Madison Rotary.  If you have an interest in helping or giving back to the community, contact Madison Rotary at info@njrotary.org or visit www.madisonrotarynj.org.