At Penta Career Center, 14 seniors spent the 2022-23 year participating in the Students Taking a Renewed Interest in the Value of Education (STRIVE) program through a collaborative effort between the Perrysburg Rotary Club and Penta Career Center.
Their rewards for successfully participating in the program were scholarships totaling $5,200 from the Rotary.
The scholarship recipients were honored April 28 at the Rotary Club meeting.
Rossford Schools’ student Tim Turski, who is studying heating and air conditioning at Penta, earned a top scholarship of $850. Also receiving an $850 scholarship was James Sniadecki of Maumee.
Earning $500 scholarships were Emma Kasza, Otsego, culinary arts, and Katelynn Leemaster, Elmwood, small animal care.
Scholarships of $350 went to Jasmine Brandeberry, Northwood, culinary arts, and Kristopher Harderson-Jones, Maumee, manufacturing academy.
Rounding out the list of recipients with $225 scholarships were Dominic Bracey, Springfield, welding; Justin Couturier, Perrysburg, automotive technologies; Makaylah Crawford, Lake, medical office management; Nicholas McGuire, Woodmore, medical technologies; Maleah Myers, Oak Harbor, medical technologies; Hannah Ogg, Lake, early childhood education; Joziah Smith, Northwood, firefighter, and Billy Stokes, Bowling Green, culinary arts.
Rotarian and STRIVE mentor Janelle Haas commended the students, “We had a great year,” she said and expressed appreciation to Rachel Bernhard, a Penta supervisor for coordinating the program.
Rotary President Mitchel Skotynsky agreed, “This is a really great program that we support every year.”
STRIVE is a program of Rotary International which has been adopted by the Perrysburg Rotary Club. The mission is to provide educational assistance and encouragement to high school students with the goal of improving their grades, attitudes and attendance during their senior year.
Penta students attended monthly meetings with club members and participated in mentoring activities.
Since 2001, the Perrysburg Rotary Service Foundation has awarded 325 scholarships totaling more than $114,000 to Penta students through the program.
