Applications must be sent in by April 1.
By Melissa Riker
The Sun
The Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club has been making academic dreams come true for the past 30 years.
Through the club’s scholarship program, 10 high school seniors will be receiving scholarships totaling $42,000 — the largest amount the club has presented since the program’s inception.
There will be seven $5,000 scholarships, two $2,500 scholarships and one $2,000 scholarship presented to students.
Students who reside in the 08055 and 08088 ZIP Codes and attend either Shawnee High School, Seneca High School, Holy Cross Preparatory Academy, Bishop Eustace Catholic High School or Burlington County Institute of Technology can apply.
The scholarship program is geared toward students who are in financial need, and school counselors are provided with the applications for the eligible students. Counselors will seek out students they deem qualified and students can visit counselors if they wish to apply.
The application requires the family’s financial information, the student’s academic history and a written essay. The essay should be at least two pages, double-spaced, describing the reasons why he or she deserves to be a recipient.
The eligible students will then meet with the club’s scholarship committee made up of five members, who will conduct interviews.
Bob Wardle, chairman of the scholarship committee, has been a part of the club since 2006, with this marking his first year on the scholarship committee.
“I am very proud to be a member of this fine group of men and women,” Wardle said. “We’re very proud of the program. It gives us a way to show the community what we’re doing.”
The scholarships are funded through the club foundation along with grants from Church and Dwight and various banks, including Investors Bank and Beneficial Bank.
The foundation was established after the passing of one of the club’s members who stated in his will he wanted a scholarship fund to be set up annually through the funds he donated to the club.
The club has since invested the money carefully each year, with the foundation originally providing $15,000. This year there will be $25,000 provided from the foundation, $10,000 from Church and Dwight and the remaining funds provided from bank grants.
“We always hope that the students will continue on, they’ll finish college. Our hope is that they’ll take this opportunity and build on it and provide themselves and their families with a career and understanding that someone reached out to help them, and maybe they’ll reach out and help someone in the future,” Wardle said. “That’s really what we’re after. Just to give somebody a chance.”
Applications are due on April 1, interviews will be conducted on April 8, 9 and 10, and recipients are anticipated to be announced on April 15.
