5 days ago
Altoona Rotary club awards more than $20K to high school students
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — After graduating from high school, more than a dozen students are receiving help for their post-secondary education.
The Rotary Club of Altoona awarded 18 high school graduates with scholarships during a meeting on Tuesday at the Blair County Convention Center. The club meets weekly, but awards scholarships annually.
'We send an application out to all the school districts, and we ask them to tell us a little bit about themselves. What do they want to do? What college are they going to, you know, what are their future dreams?' Phyllis Baker, Scholarship Coordinator for the Rotary, said.
The money can be used for anything that the student needs, including textbooks, tuition or even a car. This year, the 18 students who were selected received a total of $21,000. Each scholarship amount is based on the needs of the student.
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'You know, service above self. The Rotarians believe that everybody is worthy of our help. We make sure that not only the students, but we do other things throughout the community and Altoona, in which we feel that there's a need. And we will always step up, because it is fair to all concerned that we provide the need to our community,' Baker said.
Fred Thursfield, President of the Rotary Club, said many of the students have returned to work and become meaningful members of the community.
'I think in today's world, having scholarships or financial aid packages for students has become increasingly important. And of course, the scholarships we give out can be used for anything by the students. Having grandchildren of my own, either in college or getting ready to enter, you need it for computers. You need it for clothes. You need it just to prepare for college,' Thursfield said.
Since the Altoona Rotary started awarding scholarships 21 years ago, they've given out $500,000 in scholarships.
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