Like many other clubs and organizations this summer, the Niles-Buchanan Rotary Club is hard at work proving their motto — putting service above self to raise money for local scholarships.

Members of the Rotary Club are selling 200 $100 raffle tickets, and will award $8,000 in cash prizes to three lucky winners, which will be announced at the club’s annual dinner June 29. The remaining $12,000 raised in this raffle will go to an awesome cause: to help students from Niles, Brandywine and Buchanan pay for college.

I’ve always been an advocate for community service and philanthropy, and I urge you to donate to any cause you feel worthy, but this cause is near and dear to my heart.

For 52 years, the Rotary Club has held similar fundraisers to raise money for these scholarships. Each year, members of the Rotary Club choose one student from each district to award a $1,000 scholarship to, and the Rotarians take the process one step farther, taking the time to meet and interview the candidates in order to decide who they believe is the best candidate for the award.

Six years ago, I was in the hot seat interviewing for this scholarship at Brandywine High School.

I remember being so terrified, fairly inexperienced at being interviewed in general, but completely new to being questioned by a whole panel of strangers.

Today, I remember that interview fondly, but that day, I left the interview furious.

I went through the simple questions answering basic information about life goals, leadership experience and volunteerism, and then one of the panelists stumped me.

The panelist — who I now know well and respect tremendously — said, “You know we can only give this scholarship to one Brandywine student. Why do you deserve it more than Jasmine?”

Jasmine is my twin sister, and she was waiting in the next room for her turn to interview.

I was spitting mad, and blurted out something along the lines of, “I don’t. We both deserve it.”

When my sister returned to French class after her interview, she repeated a similar tale, and she had a basically identical answer.

A few weeks later, the same panelist announced at our awards assembly that because we refused to divide ourselves, the Rotary Club didn’t think it would be fair to either, and they awarded us both a scholarship.

Through fundraisers like the current raffle, service activities and interviews like the one I experienced, the Niles-Buchanan Rotary sets an example for people of all ages in their community. I’m consistently impressed by the awesome work this organization does, and forever appreciative to their assistance with my college tuition.

If you’re able, I encourage you to participate in this raffle, or donate however you can. If you’re interested in buying a ticket, let me know and I can connect you with a Rotarian.

Six years later, Jasmine and I still refuse to be separated. We’ll be splitting our ticket (and potential earnings) in this year’s fundraiser.

 

Ambrosia Neldon is the managing editor at Leader Publications. She can be reached by phone at (269) 687-7713, or by email at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com.