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The Rotary Club of Edina recently awarded scholarships to two Edina High School graduates. Aarathi Garimella and Yifei Zhang were each given $1,250 scholarships at a special breakfast at the Church of St. Patrick Friday, May 25. The presentation was made by the club’s Youth Service Director, Kip Peterson.Aarathi Garimella was a charter member of the Interact Club of Edina and most recently served as the club’s as President. This year, she also participated in the Rotary Club of Edina's “Do the Right Thing” leadership ethics seminar and Camp Enterprise and attended several club meetings as a student guest. She plans to study mathematics and ergonomics in the future.
“Rotary’s Four-Way test has become something I follow in all decisions I make,” Garimella said. “The mission and values of Rotary are something I personally identify with and the impact [Rotarians] make on the world is truly amazing. I have benefitted [from Rotary] greatly as I am no longer a shy girl afraid to speak up. Through Interact, I’ve become a strong leader with stronger values and the ability to communicate effectively.”
Yifei Zhang also participated in some Rotary Club of Edina activities, including Camp Enterprise and the “Do The Right Thing” leadership ethics seminar. Zhang plans to study international business at the University of Minnesota.
“All these experiences inspired me that personal experience could be used as a source for entrepreneurship or a tool for finding a suitable career,” Zhagn said. “What I gained from [Camp Enterprise] was not only about business. I also learned about teamwork and communication skills. What I learned from Rotary can be summarized as service based on self, service above self and service beyond self.”
The Rotary Club of Edina selected the students for the scholarships based on their involvement with the club, community service and financial need.