Meet the 5 2024 graduates who earned scholarships from the Rotary Club of Granville

Five scholarships totaling $9,000 were presented this spring to area high school graduates by the Rotary Club of Granville at its May 6 meeting in the Granville Inn.

An annual event, the scholarships presented to Granville High School graduates are the Carl A. Frazier and Mike Gregory awards, plus two scholarships to students at the Career and Technology Education Center (C-TEC).The scholarships are funded by the club’s Granville Rotary Foundation, which raises money from four major annual events: Taste of Granville, the Fourth of July Firecracker Five footrace, the Granville Chili Cook-off and the club’s rose sale.

Isabella Busack, of GHS, is winner of the $3,000 Frazier scholarship, named for a man known as "Mr. Granville" who is credited with service to the community as a banker, mayor, Rotarian and co-founder of the Granville Community Foundation. The scholarship is given to students who show exceptional service to the community.

"She’s demonstrated a strong commitment to both learning and service," said Rotarian Amanda Schneider, chair of the club’s youth services committee.

Schneider said Busack demonstrated these commitments by holding leadership positions in the GHS music department including Symphonic Choir, Wind Ensemble, a cappella groups and the marching band, while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. She was also a four-year student council official including that of vice-president this year, a four-year Key Club member including two years as secretary and is currently National Honor Society secretary.

Outside of school, Busack has participated in the Teen Action Group at the Granville Public Library since eighth grade, led a Sunday-evening youth music group at her church in addition to singing in its choir, and volunteered at a Back-to-School event for Fostering Further, a local non-profit aiding youths who age out of foster care. In establishing a Clothing Closet specifically for teens in collaboration with Fostering Further, she collected, washed and distributed over 200 pieces of clothing to eight different Licking County teens in foster care.

Kara Bergeron and Colt Shaw were each winner of a $1,500 Mike Gregory Scholarship, Schneider announced, given to GHS students who excel both in the classroom and community, and as athletes. Mike Gregory, a Denison University graduate, was a charter member of the Granville Rotary Club and was highly regarded in his profession by serving as president of the National Hardware Association in addition to being a community leader.

Bergeron, in addition to inductions into National Honor, Cum Laude, and Latin Honor societies, completed the Global Scholars Program. She served as secretary of the Latin Club and Interact Club as well as participating in Ski Club, cross country and indoor and outdoor track. An 11-time letter-winner not counting a likely spring sports letter this year, she was a member of the Blue Aces’ state championship cross country team two years ago and last fall’s state runner-up team. She will attend the University of Tampa this fall.

"If you don’t know the backstory on Kara," Schneider related, "when they won the state championship two years ago, Kara lost her shoe in the first two minutes of the race and continued to run almost two miles with only one shoe on."

Shaw was inducted to both the National Honor, French Honor and Cum Laude societies. As an athlete he was a four-year lacrosse letter winner and a three-year basketball letter winner and varsity starter, twice named to the Licking County League’s second team and is holder of the GHS school record for most career blocks.

He was also Student Council vice-president, a mentor to underclassmen and student spirit leader. He will be attending the Farmer School of Business at Miami University.

"As an athlete who is interested in health and nutrition, food scarcity is an important issue to him," Schneider said. "He has volunteered at the Licking County Food Pantry Network and as well as the Feed the Dream food drive."

Winners of $1,500 C-TEC scholarships are Emily McCord and Josie Johnson, said Rotarian Steve Thaxton, member of the youth services committee.

"This is not only for achievement in school, but particularly students who have been recognized for showing just an exceptional commitment to community service and service to mankind," Thaxton said.

Introducing McCord, Thaxton said, "Most people know Emily for her quiet nature, intelligence kindness and athletic ability. People do not know her for her vast amount of service that she has done to give back to the community."

The Licking Heights graduate-to-be is at the top of her class academically. She was an organizer for the Letters to the Elderly campaign, Random Acts of Kindness Drive and the school food and toiletries drives. She also taught circuitry to middle-schoolers, helped at the LHHS Trunk or Treat event, guided tours around C-TEC and ran the help desk for the school’s craft show. She has also traveled around to various Licking County schools speaking to students about careers. A stand-out basketball player, she helped to run a Licking Heights girls basketball camp and the Dunn Deal basketball camp. She also volunteered to clean the City of Columbus Wolf Park and the Scioto Mile.

"I haven’t done that much in 10 years," Thaxton said.

Johnson, a Watkins Memorial graduate-to-be, was in the Physical Therapy and Exercise program at C-TEC, earning 14 credentials including CPR/First Aid, OSHA 10 and Physical Therapy Aid. With a 3.9 GPA, she participated in the college credit plus program, was a camera operator on the Tech Team, and was involved with the Worship Team, Weekend Team, and youth leader for middle-school students.

Information submitted bythe Rotary Club of Granville.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Meet the 2024 graduates who earned scholarships from Granville Rotary