The Rotary Club honoured six senior students from each secondary school in North Bay for their involvement in volunteerism in the community and beyond at yesterday's meeting.
This year’s recipients are:
- Kate Sherry - Widdifield Secondary School,
- Sydney Pullen-Vautour - École secondaire publique Odyssée,
- Katie Schankula - West Ferris Secondary School,
- Anthony Vacheff - Chippewa Secondary School,
- Jacob Szaranski - St. Joseph Scollard Hall, and
- Nicholas Daguerre - École secondaire catholique Algonquin.
Rotary International’s motto is “Service Above Self”. The Club instills this philosophy of unselfish volunteer service in both its members and the community at large through the implementation and promotion of various projects.
Students who best exemplify “Service Above Self”, are selected based on the warmth and caring exhibited towards their peers or other members of our society, such as seniors, disabled or disadvantaged. Selected students are not necessarily highly academic, active in sports or popular with their peer group.
Each recipient received a certificate, name plaque for their school’s Rotary Plaque and a cheque for $100.
Hannah Bywater, 2016-2017 Rotary Youth Exchange Student, was the guest speaker.
Award winners.
Anthony Vacheff is a Grade 10 student at Chippewa. Over the years he has been volunteering his time at the Capital Centre working with youth in the summer/march break camps. He has also done some volunteering at a martial arts club helping out with some PD day camps for Anime, Halloween and spending some time at Sunset Park on family fun night. He has also done some volunteering at the North Bay Farmers market and the North Bay Baseball association. To date, Anthony has registered over 600 hours and has much more to come.
At West Ferris Katie Schankula is a Grade 11 student in the STEAM program. Katie exemplifies "Service Above Self". She quietly leads the student body in a number of annual charitable activities:
-She has organized and led "Ferris Gives Back" during the Christmas season for three years--supporting the Transition House, LIPI Toy Drive and Futures/Crisis Centre
- Katie organized and led an activity day for NADY
-She has taken the leadership role to organize the Trojan Parade for Cancer
-During the summer months, she is a volunteer coach with the North Bay Youth Soccer program.
Not only is Katie a star volunteer at the school, but she is also, the Student Council President and she was the Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2016-17 school year--meaning that she had the highest grade average in Grade 10, while still playing on the volleyball team, the basketball team and the soccer team...along with the above-mentioned volunteer roles.
Katie is a quiet leader. She is always ready to step up and participate wholeheartedly with a compassionate and a caring demeanor.
At ESC Algonquin, Nicholas Daguerre is the student who best exemplifies Service Above Self. He is a very engaged Grade 10 student and an active citizen of this community.
At the school level, Nicholas has been a member of various teams and groups such as the basketball team as well as being a key volunteer in the OFSAA boys ‘AAA’ basketball tournament hosted by ÉSC Algonquin last year. Nicholas is always helping with the organization of tournaments and activities for the elementary schools.
Nicholas volunteers in the community for various activities such as church breakfasts in his community, PD day camps, golf tournaments, but is mostly known for the hours he has given to various YMCA camps, notably Camp Tillicum. He has collected over 800 community hours in the past year and a half.
The administration, teachers, and coaches say that Nicholas works tirelessly and is always willing to undertake new challenges and willing to help anytime he is asked.
Nicholas continues to give to his fellow colleagues and to his community. This honor student is a strong individual who embodies the values of a person who serves others selflessly.
At Widdifield, Kate Sherry displays many examples of service above self. Kate is a peer tutor, an athlete, a community volunteer, and a leader in her church.
As a tutor, Kate is always positive and encouraging towards others. Kate can be relied upon to explain difficult concepts to junior students with clarity and confidence, complete the necessary paperwork, perform as a team player alongside other tutors, and take the initiative to find ways to increase her effectiveness without waiting for instructions from the teacher in charge.
Kate has achieved a high standing in the world of athletics. She held the position of vice on the Northern Ontario provincial curling team. She has coached junior curlers both in the community and on school teams. Kate has also played recreational and competitive soccer for many years. She has volunteered to coach at various soccer camps and was elected captain of the school soccer team.
She has been involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Program for the past five years and achieved the silver standard. She has also participated in volunteer trips to Costa Rica on two separate occasions. She has co-lead “We Wildcats” for the past two years. As a leader, Kate prepares for and runs meetings and events that include fundraising dinners, bake sales, and campaigns such as We Scare Hunger and Movember. She even collaborated with other schools to collect socks to donate to the local Warming Centre for Socktober.
One of Kate’s many passions includes her church, where she has committed to being a youth leader. She leads by example and steps forward to make the new young people feel valued and welcome. Kate’s high personal standards clearly permeate all she does in school, in athletics, and in her life as a young person committed to spreading the word of God.
Sydney Pullen-Vautour is a Grade 11 student at Odyssée. She is soft-spoken and does not like attention bestowed upon her. She is very attentive to details and is perseverant in her assignments and everything she undertakes.
Sydney is kind-hearted and is also first to often help her peers at the school level. She also strives to help others in the community and beyond - a distinction she encompasses, as a person who unselfishly, is always concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others.
Sydney demonstrates her “Service Above Self” qualities on a daily basis. She is busy with her studies and sports her coop placement in hospitality. But despite her busy schedule Sydney makes it a point to help others by being inclusive and open-minded. Sydney has over one hundred hours volunteering with Community leader Moe Bedard and the Big Brother Association. She willingly and selflessly takes on many jobs associated with the Big Brother Hockey Tournament, making sure that it is a success so that many little brothers may benefit.
Sydney is always smiling. Her respectful demeanour and positive attitude prove that she is an outstanding example of what students can accomplish unselfishly when they help others.
Jacob Szaranski is this year’s St. Joseph-Scollard Hall’s student who makes a difference. Jacob can often be seen touring students and parents around the building on Parent Information night and Bear Days. He is a fixture at the scorer's table for our athletic events and he is always quick to say yes to whatever is asked of him. He participates in school athletics and is always seen encouraging and supporting his teammates on the soccer pitch and the cross-country running trails. He is quiet but leads by example and his peers, even those older than him are often caught up in his positive energy and dedication. In class, Jacob works hard and is at or near the top of each course. He is often seen helping out his fellow students
