The Rotary Club of Christiansburg-Blacksburg typically presents youth awards to
Montgomery County Public School students in May. Parents are invited to the event for juniors and seniors from Auburn, Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Eastern Montgomery high schools, and the students are recognized in the areas of academic achievement, career and technical education, and ethics.
Due to the coronavirus, the awards for 2019-20 were presented at the schools’ online award ceremonies and graduation.
Academic Achievement Awards were presented to the top 5% of the junior class of all four schools based on grade point average. Auburn High School students receiving awards were Abagail Nicole Coe, Emily Brooks Coe, Emma Elizabeth Hendrix, Jared Kohl Houseman, Ella Sydney Lockhart, Kaylee Elizabeth McCracken, Meredith Malayne Smith, Blake Samuel Underwood and Ryan Wade Watson.
Receiving Academic Achievement Awards from Blacksburg High School were Diego Aaron Elias, Mariella Regina Garza, Cameron Clay Gilmore, Bryan Kim, Neal Reyhan Klemba, Dasol Lee, Isaac Shae McPherson, Victoria Lin Midkiff, Emi Miyazaki, Alexandra Jocelyn Nussbaum,
Deniz Guney Olgun, Lewis James Rockwell, Viola Maria Vinatzer, Jacqueline Amber Wang, Eric Xie, Kevin Anhao Zhang and Cato Zhong.
From Christiansburg High School, Academic Achievement Award recipients were Andrew Michael Adams, Kate Alexandra Childers, Jacob Paul Davis, David Henry Fox, Kent Scott Hendricks, Jeremy Christopher Liechner, Uchechi Angel Okoronkwo, Abigail Ann Peyton, Skyler LeAnn Radford-Price, Jackson Anthony Schulz, Lindsey Morgan Smith, John Patrick Taft, Shuler Grace Williams and Rosemary Noel Wnorowski.
Academic Achievement Award winners from East Montgomery High School were John Foster, Sarah McCagg, and Eli Underwood.
Career and Technical Education Awards were presented to two seniors from each school who have achieved excellence in their chosen field of vocational education. They were nominated by their teachers. The award winners were James Crutchfield and Ally Smith of Auburn High School; Ryan Matthew Linkous (Cybersecurity) and Virginia Ashton Wheeler
(Cosmetology/Cybersecurity) of Blacksburg High School; Kamden Richard Phillips and Margaret Rose Calvert of Christiansburg High School; and Eddie Ruiz and Bryce Patrick of Eastern Montgomery High School.
Finally, Rotary Code of Ethics Awards were presented to the senior boy and senior girl at each school, nominated by their teachers, who best exemplify the traits delineated in the
Rotary Four-Way Test: “Of the things we think, say or do: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”
The award winners were Christopher Connelly and Victoria Boyd of Auburn High School; Jordan Taylor Stevens and Rachel Lynn Day of Blacksburg High School; Jackson Thomas Waters and Miranda Leigh Lattimer of Christiansburg High School; and Sharon Healy and Cole Shepherd of Eastern Montgomery High School.
The Rotary Club of Christiansburg-Blacksburg was founded in 1923. Its motto is Service Above Self. The Rotary Youth Awards, the club’s Professional Leadership and Citizen of the Year Awards, the Rotary semi-annual blood screening event, youth development programs and community projects as well as participation in Rotary International programs like PolioPlus and Group Study Exchanges exemplify this motto.
