Junior Rotarians

Junior Rotarians are special!

They are high school students who attend our weekly meetings, and who share their lives, hopes, and dreams with Rotary members. In return, Rotary members share their career experience and their encourgement.

Rotarian Scott Westerman, remembering his experience as a Junior Rotarian 68 year ago, said: "My wish for you is that your experience here with us will be so memorable that you will recall it for many years to come, and that you will have made Rotary an important part of your life, as it has been of mine." (January 2012)

2012-13

Christina Bartson, a senior at Greenhills High School, speaks about her many hours of volunteer time in Detroit and of her expectations for its future.

Emily Wu, also a senior at Greenhills High School, was hooked on music at an early age and has continued to study and give back to others ever since. She works with young students at her Chinese school. In the fall, Emily will enter Swarthmore College and she expects to become a medical doctor.

Greenhills High School senior Mithun Saha has broad interests in science and social science. Mithun has volunteered extensively at Glacier Hills Living Center, especially playing piano and communicating through music. He's pleased to have been accepted at the University of Michigan as he also awaits letters from a dozen schools on the East Coast.

An AP calculus student at Father Gabriel Richard High School, Brooks Bradley’s interests in high school have mainly been in math and the fine arts. He is in honors a capella choir and performs in musical and plays at school, 10 shows at last count. For community service, he tutors children at his church and would like to serve underprivileged children in the community. He’s applying at the U-M where he intends to study music education. He says he would like to teach privately to kids who can’t afford private lessons.

Gonza Lulika, a senior at Father Gabriel Richard High School, is interested in politics. He has excelled in math and plans on studying accounting at either Wayne State University or the U-M. He has participated in soccer in high school and sings in the vocal group Madrigals. He is executive president of Student Council, a member of the National Honor Society and an active member of the Pro Life club. He serves sandwiches to homeless people in Detroit as part of his community service, as well as going to Appalachia on mission trips.

Joseph Kenzicky is a two-sport athlete (football and baseball) who is in honors classes in history and biology at Father Gabriel High School. A member of the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, his community service has been to serve at Brecon Village Nursing Home and to volunteer at the Special Olympics. He’s applying to college at U-M, Hillsdale and Duke with an interest in business.

Mishka Repaska is a senior at Community High School. She is active in the Neutral Zone, especially its LGBTQ social justice and social support group, Riot Youth. She is also passionate about putting a stop to bullying, and she has lobbied in Lansing on behalf of enumeration. Mishka is a Peer Educator with Ann Arbor Planned Parenthood. Her immediate goal upon completing high school is to spend a year abroad, visiting Croatia and Spain in order to work on language, before returning to take up further study.

Cooper DePriest is a senior at Community High School, where he is editor of the awarding-winning newspaper, The Communicator, president of the student council, and a member of the Mock Trial Team. He has been a 4-H sailing instructor and is a member of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation's Youth Council Board and also of Ann Arbor Teens for Kids. Cooper expects to study business at the University of Michigan’s Ross School and then to earn a degree in law.

Leah Awkward-Rich, a senior at Community High School, is a member of Women in Leadership. A cellist, she performs in a group from the Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts. She also volunteers at the Humane Society of Huron Valley and the nursery at her church. She hopes to attend Swarthmore College, majoring in psychology, and to become a child psychologist.

2011-12

Iris Chen is a senior at Pioneer High School. She participated in Interact and Symphony Band; she also volunteered in food drives. She will attend the University of Michigan to study history.

Jennifer Johnson is a senior at Pioneer High School, where she was involved with Interact and music studies; she will attend the University of Michigan, where she hopes to be a Rotaractor.

Kevin Zhang is a senior at Pioneer High School. Kevin was active in Interact, Student Council, and Symphony Band. He will attend the University of Michigan for an undetermined major.

Anna Forringer-Beal is a senior at Greenhills School. Anna currently interns at the University of Michigan Anthropology Department and is active in theater and forensics. She has been accepted at the University of Michigan.

Susanna Miesel is a senior at Greenhills School. She has volunteered at Mott Children's Hospital and the Kelsey Museum. She hopes to study classical languages at the University of Michigan or Kalamazoo College. She gave a special hello to her grandparents, Rotarian Henry Amble and his best friend of 58 years, Phyllis Amble.

Marina King is a senior at Greenhills School. She is active in theater and forensics and is the manager of the Boys JV Basketball Team. She has not yet decided which college she will attend.

Jeannie Daida is a senior at Huron High School. She has done various volunteer work and studies biology. She has not yet made her college choice.

Jiaxin Wang is a senior at Huron High School. Jiaxin studies piano and is in the A Capella Choir. She plans to attend the University of Michigan.

Kevin Cai is a senior at Huron High School. He is a volunteer at the UM Hospital and plays in the Huron High School orchestra. He plans to attend the University of Michigan.

2010-11

Victoria Terry is a senior at Huron High School. Three years ago, Victoria and her family moved to Michigan from Littleton, CO because of her mother’s illness and the physician’s recommendation to move closer to U of M hospital. Her mother suffers from Emphysema. The more Victoria and her sisters learned and experienced from their mother’s illness, the more they all felt the necessity to join the health field in order to understand and reverse this disease. She has considered studying Radiology at Washtenaw Community College or joining the military to practice military medicine or navy nursing. Her vision would be to aide injured soldiers across seas.

Laura Knutilla is a senior at Huron High School. She has been involved in the community most of her life including participation in a girl scout troop, participated in several mission trips to the Appalachian area in Tennessee with her church and has had the priviledge of working with the Clague Cross Country Team as a “Seeing Eye-Runner.” She enjoys music, playing the piano, figure skating and running; she is also a principal french horn in the Huron Symphony Orchestra and Band among other extracurricular activities. In addition to that, she won a national art scholarship competition. Next year, she plans on studying engineering and later plans on working on developing and implementing new alternative energy sources. Laura is a member of the National Honor Society and has taken many AP and AC classes.

Nathaniel James is a senior at Huron High School. In the fall, he will be going to BYU, where he plans to study, among other things, history and writing. He is also planning to do some missionary work for his church for a few years. He’s considering careers in writing, teaching, and archiving. Nathaniel has been a scout since he was eleven, and is currently working on his Eagle Scout project. He is going to transcribe tombstones and burial records at a cemetery near Chelsea to help people to be able to do genealogical research.

Mark Schulte is a senior at Huron High School. He is a captain of the Huron Crew team, for which he has competed both sophomore and junior year at the Scholastic Rowing Association Championships placing 4th and 7th in the Men's Junior 4+ and Men's Senior 4+ respectively. He is also highly active in Boy Scout Troop 8, where he helps plan and run outings that bring middle schoolers and high schoolers into the wilderness and teaches leadership skills. Mark started a business with his twin brother, Matt Schulte, A2TwinTech (a2twintech.com), a tech support company that they run out of their house. Mark plans on studying electrical or computer engineer in college. He plans to go either to the University of Michigan, Michigan Tech, or Stanford.

Malik Redding, Pioneer High Schol

Freddy Munoz is a senior at Pioneer High School. During the past 4 years he has participated in several school clubs and associations such as the Business Club, the FCA and the Key Club which is devoted to community help and, in particular, to help Senior Citizens and the ill. He is also a member of the National Honor Society, the Pioneer Varsity Football team and a Mentor for the Trailblazers program. This fall, he plans on attending the University of Michigan here in Ann Arbor.

Taylor Gayton is a senior at Pioneer High School. Taylor works part time at American Eagle Outfitters and is an active volunteer at the Ann Arbor YMCA. Earlier this year she was also a proud recipient of the NAACP Freedom Fund Scholar Award. She would like to pursue a career in medicine, and one day become a pediatrician. She plans on attending either Spelman College, or Baylor University.

Willie Smith Jr., Pioneer High School

Damian McGlothlin, a senior at Pioneer High School, is the founder of the non-profit 501c3 charity organization YouChooseOne. This online organization, www.youchooseone.org, has profiles of various families in need so that the donor can choose which person they want to donate to as opposed to donating blindly to an organization. He has raised around $10,000 for families in Washtenaw County and hopes that this unique idea could expand into the next nationwide Netflix for charity. He also plays soccer where he has been a two year captain at Pioneer and coaches a youth rec and ed soccer team in the local community. He also interns at the UofM Internal Medicine Department Laboratory during the summers where he works on several research projects. He will be going to Stanford University next year where he hopes to study Pre-Medicine.

Isobel (Ella) Mouat is a senior at Pioneer High School. She was born and raised on Ann Arbor’s Old West Side, and has spent the past two summers working as a nanny in Paris. The various cultures she has experienced have made her appreciate the diversity a city such as Ann Arbor has to offer, and have excited her for the many edges of the globe she has yet to see. For the past three years she has been a Peer Mediator at Pioneer, working to overcome the many conflicts a large and diverse school such as Pioneer presents. Spending her adolescent years fighting Chronic Lyme Disease has given her a glimpse into the complicated medical system and has inspired her to work in the field of health policy. For this reason, as well as her exposure to different cultures and lifestyles gained through travel and peer mediation, she plans to attend either the University of Michigan or the University of Toronto to study public health before joining Doctors Without Borders.

Megan Masten is a senior at Pioneer High School where she has been extensively involved with community service. She has been in student council for all four years of high school, is secretary of Key Club, and is an Orientation Guide. She has been a part of the Neutral Zone as well; she is a member of STAND (a student anti-genocide coalition) and is a facilitator of SEED (students educating each other about diversity). Megan was chosen to be an ambassador at the Michigan Youth Leadership Conference as a Sophomore, and has continued to volunteer as a Team Alumni since then. Megan hopes to attend the University of Southern California and join their medical program, she aspires to be an Ophthalmologist.

Marissa Alaniz is a senior at Pioneer High School where she has been involved with A Cappella Choir and Pioneer Theatre Guild over the past 4 years. She also enjoys dance and is currently a ballet class demonstrator at Sylvia Studio of Dance. Her interest in helping others stems from her long-standing participation in outreach activities at the First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor. She is a member of the Mission Action Board and a Vacation Bible School leader, working with the children of Hikone housing, as well as an usher and Children’s Worship Assistant. She was grateful to have the opportunity to visit her church’s sister church in Nandasmo, Nicaragua, where she assisted with the church farm and school, and made many new friends. Marissa was recently named a National Hispanic Scholar and is also a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She hopes to study law or business with a minor in Spanish. She has been accepted to Michigan State University and is waiting to hear from The University of Michigan and Kalamazoo College.

YooJin Chang, Pioneer High School, is a representative on the Student Council, a member of the school's German club, GSA, and Gospel Choir. She plays on Pioneer's varsity field hockey team, as well as participates in synchronized swimming and lacrosse. She enjoys playing sports, singing, and serving the community. She plans to attend Michigan State University, majoring in criminology and psychology, obtain a pilot’s license, and enter a police academy. While in college, she wants to be involved in community service projects. Eventually she hopes to be part of interrogations and search and rescue missions.

Mike Kielczewski is a senior at Pioneer High School. Michael is the second oldest of four boys and was born and raised in Ann Arbor. At Pioneer, he is a member of the Key Club, student government, and the men’s varsity basketball team. Michael’s community service includes work with the Hope Clinic, Ozone House, and Fresh Start Clubhouse. After graduation, Michael wants to study business in college, to continue to contribute to the community, and to one day become a member of Rotary.

Al Braun, Greenhills School

Victoria (Viggy) Parr is a senior at Greenhills School. She developed a love for community service early in life, when her Girl Scout troop created the "Send a Box to Every Soldier" campaign after 9/11. This campaign grew from just a cookie campaign to an all-out toiletry supply airlift to the 89th MP Brigade in Afghanistan. The troop was awarded the George Washington Honor Medal for Patriotism and decorated by the US Army twice. She learned then that she could make a difference. Five years ago, when Viggy moved from Dallas to Ann Arbor, she created a program called The Birthday Club, which provides specifically-requested birthday gifts for economically disadvantaged children at Hikone Housing in Ann Arbor. This organization has provided over 450 birthdays. In addition to her dedication to community service, Viggy is captain of the Varsity Volleyball team, plays softball, and loves reading, writing, and photography. She has applied to twelve colleges, and her first choice is Stanford University. She plans to study biological sciences with a goal to earn a Ph.D. in microbiology.

Meghna Rao is heavily involved with the Neutral Zone, Ann Arbor’s teen center: she sits on their Board of Directors, leads the Teen Advisory Council, and heads Breakin’ Curfew, an annual showcase of teenage musicians in southeast Michigan. In addition, she co-founded her own program at the Neutral Zone, Teen Mediation Team, which focuses on advocating for positive social interaction of teens in Ann Arbor. Meghna is the editor-in-chief of the Greenhills School newspaper, a co-editor of the school’s literary magazine, a tour guide for prospective students, and a member of the Mock Trial team. In college, she plans to study pre-law with a major in international relations.

Hannah Bogard is a senior at Community High School. She loves sports including women’s ice hockey and varsity track. She has participated in multiple Youth Volunteer Corps camps and volunteered for the Human Society of Huron Valley. While extracurricular activities and helping the community are very important to her, she also puts a lot of effort and time into academic success as a result of her joining Community High’s Honor Society during her sophomore year of high school. Hannah recently applied to The University of Michigan, Earlham College, Kalamazoo College, and Michigan State University. She plans to pursue her passion for science and the outdoors by majoring in a field of biology, or furthering her knowledge and understanding of the mechanics of the human body with a major in exercise science or kinesiology.

Jesse Buchsbaum’s main passion is extracurricular activities. He is the sports editor of the Communicator, the national award-winning online newspaper at Community High, as well as a member of Symphony Orchestra, Celtic Music Club, National Honor Society, the Jewish Cultural Society, and Huron Politicos. He plays varsity soccer and basketball. He may attend the University of Michigan (Honors Program), Kalamazoo College, or Macalester College, especially because of the internship and study abroad opportunities that these colleges provide. Jesse believes that internships are a vital part of preparing for a career, which he thinks may be in advocacy for alternative energy.

Katie O’Brien, a senior at Community High School, works at Sparrow’s Market in Kerrytown. She joined Model United Nations her sophomore year and continued through junior year. She is one of three Editors-in-Chief of The Communicator, CHS’s school newspaper. Kate learned early about volunteerism from her parents. In 9th grade Kate helped their forum raise money for Relay for Life and for the past two years she has been a team captain with her friends. This year she will volunteer with her friend’s chapter of Will Work for Food. She is also one of the leaders for the Neutral Zone’s Green Group – a teen environmental group. Next year Kate hopes to attend College of the Atlantic and focus her studies on a combination of ecological, environmental, and marine sciences.

Winter -Spring 2010

Pioneer High School

Mary Fitzgerald

Honors: National Honor Society

College: Hillsdale College

Salman Rajput

Honors: National Honor Society

College: Columbia or Dartmouth

Daniel Kriz

Daniel has always been driven to excel in a wide range of areas. In 2009, he was captain of the Michigan All-Star Math Team. This year, he took Honors Analysis at the University of Michigan and was at the top of the class. Daniel also writes short stories, and has studied piano and violin for 12 years. He composes both classical and modern music and recently won a rock music competition with a band of his friends. He has practiced Taekwondo since childhood. In 2010, with his sister and under the direction of Professor Dmitriy Boyarchenko at the University of Michigan, he wrote a research paper on applied stochastic analysis. Daniel avidly believes in giving back to the community, volunteering at the UM hospital and a local physical therapy clinic. He plans to major in mathematics, and one day actively apply his knowledge and skills toward making a better world.

Elizabeth Qian

Activities: Science Olympiad captain, JV Tennis captain, Symphony Orchestra Vice President, NHS Webmaster, Pioneer Debate Team
Service: Tutoring, National Honor Society volunteer work
Honors: Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association Division I Policy Debate State Finalist, Outstanding Ensemble at State Solo and Ensemble Festival, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Finalist, National Honor Society
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Career Plans: Aerospace Engineering

Kelsey Thompson

Pioneer High School

Dominique Corley

Activities: Varsity track and field; Ann Arbor Church of Christ’s Bible Bowl Team; Pioneer High School Gospel Choir; Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice; UM Dept. of Materials lab assistant

Service: City Mission; Ann Arbor Church of Christ English classes; Rebuilding Together “Christmas in April”; SOA Vigil Nonviolence Protest

Honors: NAACP Freedom Fund Scholar; Track and Field Second Team All Area; National; National Honor Society; Rookie of the Year; Bible Bowl State Finals; Track and Field All State Indoors

College: considering Cornell, Colgate, SUNY Buffalo

Career Plan: combination of criminal justice and sign language interpretation

Leah Latterner

Activities: Co-founder of MUSIC; math classes at the UM for 2 years; flute in Pioneer Symphony Band; piano soloist and with the award-winning Cobahshi Trio

Service: church nursery volunteer; orientation guide steering committee; private tutor

Honors: Presidential Scholar candidate; National Merit Finalist; National Council of Teachers of English Writing Achievement Award; National Honor Society; DownBeat magazine “Best Classical Ensemble” (trio)

College: early acceptance at Yale and UM; waiting to hear from Harvard

Career Plan: Math professor

Xiao Wang

Activities: Trailblazers (working with struggling 1^st grader for an hour daily); flute and other instruments; member of Symphony Band, Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra; co-founder of Musicians United to Serve in the Community (MUSIC--organizes and performs concerts at nursing homes and hospitals

Service: Global Improvement Society officer; Peer mediator, orientation guide, private tutor

Honors: National Merit Finalist, National Honor Society, AP Scholar with Distinction, Concerto Competition winner

College: waiting to hear from a list that includes Yale

Career Plan: Medicine

Greenhills School

Andrea McIntosh

Activities: Club soccer, Varsity Soccer, Varsity Basketball, Improv Club, Babysitting.

Service: The Olevolos Project, Michigan High School Athletic Association Student Advisory Council.

Awards: Greenhills Award, Greenhills Scholar, AP Scholar, National French and Spanish Exams, Coca-Cola Scholarship Semi-Finalist

College: Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Career Plan: Undecided, but extremely interested in the medical field, pursuing surgery or physical therapy and athletic training.

James Chamness

Activities: Varsity Cross Country and Track, Greenhills Theater and VooDoo Student Theater Company, UM Physics Research Intern

Service: Volunteer for Campaign for Change, Huron River Watershed Council, Greenhills Gay Straight Alliance, MultiCulturalFocus member

Awards: National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar, Greenhills Scholar, Greenhills Award winner, All-Region in Cross Country

College: Attending Cornell University next fall to study Engineering

Career Plan: Undecided but interested in engineering and entrepreneurship

Nora Kassner

Activities: Forensics, Greenhills Gay-Straight Alliance, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology intern, Varsity swim team, school and community theater, Ann Arbor Rowing Club

Service: YMCA Youth Advisory Council, YMCA Board of Directors and Strong Kids Campaign, Youth Volunteer Corps, Greenhills Service Learning Task Force

Awards: Cum Laude Society, National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Honor, Greenhills Scholar and Greenhills Award, National Greek and Latin Exams

College: Macalester College in St. Paul, MN

Career Plan: Undecided, but considering archaeology; teaching classics, linguistics, or others; or political speechwriting

Father Gabriel Richard High School

Caitlin Anderson