RCSL 2023 High School Scholarship Winners
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) congratulated and presented $2,000 scholarship awards to Ammaar Zindani, Hamilton High School graduate attending ASU; Ella Choy, Casteel High School graduate attending Vanderbilt University; Shiv Shukla, Perry High School graduate attending Emory University; and Carol Chen, Hamilton High School graduate attending University of Arizona.
According to RCSL Rotarian/CUSD Executive Director Secondary Education Leo Schlueter, the $2,000 scholarship payments will be sent directly to the school/university the student will be attending this fall. A panel of judges, which included RCSL members Dr. Craig Gilbert, Leo Schlueter, Gary Kay, Elaine Ralls, Debbie Bailey, Roger Edmonds, Janet McDonald, Becky Kerr, Fred DePrez, and Maureen Alger, reviewed and scored applications from area high school seniors. Each application included a 300-word essay, which provided the student’s beliefs and understanding of what “service above self” means; teacher recommendations; and student academic standing data. Also, RCSL’s selections were based on each student’s exhibiting exemplary acts of service and character.
RCSL, chartered in 1986 with Rotary International, is a community leadership organization made up of men and women from local businesses, professional, education, civic, and emerging leaders. Rotary International has over 35,000 member clubs worldwide, with a membership of over 1.2 million individuals, known as Rotarians. To learn more about RCSL projects, programs, and membership, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
Rotary Club Names CUSD Teacher of the Month
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) congratulated and presented an award to the club’s Chandler Unified School District Teacher of the Month. The award selection is based on the teacher’s total years of service in the field of education; examples of how the teacher goes above the normal requirements and enhances student education; the respect shown for the teacher by her/his peers, students, and parents; and the teacher’s involvement in extracurricular activities and service in the community. A $500 check is awarded to the honored teacher: $200 from the RCSL, $200 from Earnhardt Automotive Center, and $100 from Trust Bank.
In May 2023, Miles Denny was named RCSL Teacher of the Month. Miles earned his B.M. in music education at ASU. He serves as associate director of the band at Basha High School (BHS) and Basha Accelerated Middle School. Miles has been band director and/or music specialist at various East Valley high schools. Per BHS Principal Marques Reischi and nominating teacher Shawn Schive, Miles gives every part of himself to his students and the BHS band program. Miles is the embodiment of going the extra mile for his students. Miles spends most weekends spending time with his students and making a hugely positive impact in their lives. Miles is president of the Arizona Marching Band Association, giving hours of his time to improving the activity for thousands of music students across the State of Arizona.
For more information about RCSL education programs and membership, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
Rotary Club Enjoys a Wide Variety of Speakers
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Chair
Have you wondered what Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) does at its weekly meetings? The Rotarians and guests enjoy a morning breakfast or early supper at the Sun Lakes Saguaro Room in Cottonwood; share fellowship during that meal; start their business meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance; a member shares an invocation; guests and new members are introduced; often a member shares his/her life/work history; the Rotarian(s) of the Month are honored; various committee chairs talk about past and upcoming fundraisers, community service, and/or educational youth projects/events; a member introduces the meeting’s speaker/program; the speaker provides an enlightening talk about his/her business, passion, and/or work/life experiences; A Q&A is exchanged with the speaker; the club’s sergeant-at-arms leads the meeting’s raffles and member/guest happy/sad sharing moments; various announcements are shared; and the meeting ends with the Rotary International’s Four-Way Test recitation. The Four-Way Test addresses the things Rotarians think, say, or do. It is a test used by Rotarians worldwide as a moral code for personal and business relationships.
A recent speaker/program, introduced by Rotarian Kristine Schultz, was David “Champ” Champion of Champion Automotive Consulting. Champ provided a most enjoyable, laugh-hearty, and informative talk about the world of automotive testing. Champ had been a senior director of auto testing for 38 years for Consumer Reports (CR.) He talked about the 50 different tests and evaluations CR does with thousands and thousands of different autos. He has been instrumental in initiating innovations to the safety and ease of use of many vehicles, as well as auto testing programs. He provided details about the CR test track in Colchester, Conn. Champ is an example of the variety of RCSL outstanding speakers: innovators, legislators, ranking military officials, artists, educators, and well-seasoned business executives, owners, and professionals who come to RCSL meetings.
Go to www.sunlakesrotary.com and click on RCSL Events/Calendar to view upcoming RCSL speakers.
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (chartered April 22, 1986) is a leadership organization made up of men and women from local businesses and professional, education, civic, and emerging leaders. The club meets weekly (first, third, and fifth Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. and second and fourth Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m.) to get to know each other and form friendships and, through that, the members can get things done in the greater Sun Lakes community and even internationally. Come join in and share the club’s passion for community service and friendship. The club offers individual and corporate memberships.
Rotary Club Names CUSD Teacher of the Month
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) congratulated and presented an award to the club’s Chandler Unified School District Teacher of the Month. The award selection is based on the teacher’s total years of service in the field of education; examples of how the teacher goes above the normal requirements and enhances student education; the respect shown for the teacher by her/his peers, students, and parents; and the teacher’s involvement in extracurricular activities and service in the community. A $500 check is awarded to the honored teacher: $200 from the RCSL, $200 from Earnhardt Automotive Center, and $100 from Trust Bank.
Tina Morse was named RCSL May 2023 Teacher of the Month. Tina is a fourth-grade teacher at CUSD Chandler’s Navarrete Elementary. Tina, who has been teaching since 2000, earned her B.A. in education from Clark University and her M.A. in curriculum from Northern Arizona University. Per the school’s principal Vanessa Whitlark and nominating teachers Alice Hack and Shari Boucher, Tina is a forward thinker, excellent role model/mentor, exercises excellent teaching strategies, introduces students to innovative ideas and STEM projects, and shares her discoveries with the rest of the school’s teaching team. In summary, Tina is a dynamic train with an engine that never stops and is always engine ready.
For more information about RCSL education programs and membership, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.