Student Awards for 2008

Oswego Rotary Club Student Awards for 2008

The Oswego Rotary Club and its president, William Crist, at its regular weekly meeting at King Arthur’s Steakhouse on Tuesday, May 27, 2008, honored five outstanding Oswego High School students and their parents. The students are this year’s recipients in the club’s long-standing program of scholarships and awards. This year there were fifteen candidates for the four scholarships and two for the occupational education award.

One of the scholarships is new this year. It is underwritten by the Tarandi Foundation and given to honor the memory of Dr. Manjula Shah; physician, philanthropist, and dedicated Rotarian. Dr. Shah was an anesthesiologist who practiced in Fulton and Oswego. She was born October 28, 1937, in Umreth, India. She pursued advanced training in anesthesia in the United States at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital and Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in New York City. Dr. Shah enjoyed singing, music, philosophy, and most especially spending time with her family. Dr. Shah was known for her generosity, kindness, and her devotion to her husband and children. She died with her husband, Dr. Ravindra F. Shah, in a plane crash on September 27, 2003.

Left to right: Elizabeth Donovan, Jenna Skubis, Gabrielle Rumrill, exchange student Doris Skiba, Waruguru Gichane, and Jordan Holliday

Gabrielle Rumrill was selected as the first recipient of The Manjula Shah Oswego Rotary Scholarship. Rumrill’s school activities have included basketball, tennis, concert and jazz bands, and wind ensemble. She has been the student representative to the Board of Education for three years, Student Council member and president for four years and freshman and senior class president. Rumrill created and implemented a Character Counts program for elementary schools, was a Double Down participant, and organized a campaign to raise funds for a student’s funeral expenses. She was a member of Key Club, National Honor Society, and prom committee and has volunteered in the main office and attendance office. In the community, she was a Youth Court member, director of Oswego Youth Bureau, participated in Tsunami Relief Concert, volunteered at the Salvation Army, and helped with the Hoops for Hope Mike O’Brien memorial basketball tournament. Her honors and awards have included highest honor roll throughout high school, Who’s Who Among High School Students, Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference, NYS high school scholar athletics status, as well as awards in Spanish, math, physics, global studies, U.S. history, and earth science. Rumrill is the daughter of Dorothy and Michael Rumrill. She hopes to attend Princeton University to study Spanish and law.

Elizabeth Donovan received The Anthony J. Murabito Oswego Rotary Scholarship, which honors the long, and continuing Rotary membership of Anthony J. Murabito, retired principal of Oswego High School, and his work with the club’s scholarship program. Mr. Murabito has been a member of the club for 51 years and serves currently as a member of the Scholarship Committee. Donovan has been a member of the National Honor Society, the Upperclassmen Mentoring Program, the concert orchestra, the all-county orchestra, and the Junior Class prom committee. Her athletic participation has included Varsity Club, track and field, soccer, varsity indoor track, Winter Sports Fest, and powder puff football. She has held leadership positions in many of those sports. Donovan has served the community through several church events, the Salvation Army, Harborfest, nursing home caroler, Little Tykes soccer camp, cancer fundraisers, soccer programs, and she received the Young Naturalist Award from the American Museum of Natural History. At least a half dozen universities offered her a variety of substantial scholarships and other financial enticements. Donovan’s parents are Mary Catherine and Dennis Donovan. She hopes to attend Saint Joseph’s University to study business.

Waruguru Gichane was selected to receive The Charles E. Riley Oswego Rotary Scholarship, which is given to honor the memory of the founding president of the Oswego Rotary Club and a former superintendent of the Oswego schools. Gichane was selected for the National Honor Society and was a member of the Student Council and the Buccaneer Bulletin staff. She participated in varsity track and varsity cross country where she was captain. She was active in the Drama Club, performing in several musicals, and tutored in math and the Assisted Learning Center. Outside of school, Gichane works at McDonalds Restaurant and has been a contributing writer for Voices of the Syracuse Post-Standard. She participated in Oswego County Youth Court, Young Life, and was active in her church with the youth group and Pastor-Parish Relations Committee. Gichane has been on the highest honor roll throughout high school and has received awards in many areas including French, American literature, Mt. Holyoke Book Club, and sports feature writing. She plans to attend Cornell University to study human biology, health, and society. She is the daughter of Faith Maina and Fabian Gichane.

Jenna Skubis received The Ralph & Dorothy Faust Oswego Rotary Scholarship which honors the memory of a former president of the club and former principal of Oswego High School and his wife. Skubis participated in many musical groups during high school including NYS School Music Association Festival, wind ensemble, symphonic orchestra, marching band, musical chorus and orchestra, all-county band, chorus, and orchestra, and area all-state band and orchestra. She was a member of Oswego County Youth Academic League, Foreign Exchange Club, theatre technical crew, and Music Department volunteer service. Her activities in her church have included cantor and choir member, flautist, and religious education instructor. She has volunteered in the community for Oswego Beautification Committee, Pontiac Nursing Home music ensemble, Minetto town festival and Christmas party, Literacy Volunteers, Richardson Bates House Museum, and Oswego Historical Society. She was a member of the Oswego Children’s Theatre orchestra and gives private flute and piano lessons. Skubis has received many honors and awards in such areas as English, marching band, Young Naturalist Award, math, French, band, chorus, and National Merit Letter of Commendation. She has been on the highest honor roll for the past six years and authored a published writing. She plans to study music therapy at Nazareth College. Her parents are Christine and Steven Skubis.

Each Oswego Rotary Club scholarship will provide $1000 toward the students’ college expenses. Selection for the awards considers contributions to school and community activities, academic record and awards, and the quality of a written essay.

The Oswego Rotary Club has offered one Doctor Manjula R. Shah Oswego Rotary Occupational Education Award for several years. It acknowledges the importance of the work that Rotarians do in their professions. Each of the nearly 33,000 Rotary clubs in the world is organized around members’ occupations. This is done to emphasize the value and dignity of all work and to assure that each club represents a cross section of the businesses and professions of its community.

Jordan Holliday was selected to receive this year’s Shah Occupational Education Award of $500. It is given to an Oswego High School student who completes an occupational education program in preparation for gainful employment. Selection is based on the applicant’s demonstrated skill in the chosen field and demonstrated leadership ability. Besides completing an application form, students must obtain two letters of support from people familiar with their skills and leadership ability. Holliday completed the New Visions Allied Health program at Oswego County BOCES. He is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the National Technical Honor Society and has been recognized with a Student Council award and the Elks City of Oswego Youth Government Day. He volunteers at Oswego Hospital and is a member of the Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department Explorer Post 34. He has been a Student Council representative and played basketball, tennis, and varsity soccer where he was captain for one season. Holliday’s parents are Valerie and Kevin Holliday. His further educational plans are to study pre-medicine at LeMoyne College and then continue in medical school.

The Oswego Rotary Club, founded 81 years ago, supported high school graduates from its early days with a loan program to help with college expenses. Sometime in the early 1960s the loan program was dropped and scholarships began to be awarded. The value and number have increased over the years to the current level of four $1000 scholarships awarded annually. The club raises the money through members’ dues and contributions, occasional memorial gifts, and fundraising projects such as the annual pancake breakfast in May and pasta dinner on election night in November. The club hosts the annual Top 100 Dinner to honor the accomplishments of the 25 top academic students in each of the four classes at Oswego High School. The club has established an endowment fund to help underwrite the scholarship program in the future. Gifts and bequests will be held in perpetuity, with only the earnings used for awards.

The Oswego Rotary Club, in cooperation with Rotary District 7150 covering central New York State, participates extensively in student international exchanges. Oswego has been host to Doris Skiba from Bavaria, Germany during the current school year. Laura Daniela Garcia Paredes from Quito, Ecuador is scheduled to arrive in Oswego this summer and will stay for the next school year.

Members of the Scholarship Committee this year are Anthony Murabito, Bruce Frassinelli, William Crist, and Vernon Tryon.

Anyone having questions about membership in the Oswego Rotary Club or about its scholarship program is invited to call Vernon Tryon at 343-9692.