The Rotary Club of Edina recently presented three scholarships to deserving students at Edina High School.
The Rotary Club of Edina presents $1,500 scholarships to graduating Edina seniors who exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” and have participated in Rotary programs such as Camp Enterprise, Camp RYLA, fall ethics seminar, Vocational Ethics Day, youth exchange, Edina Rotary Global Scholars or the Interact Club of Edina. This year’s scholarships were presented to Katerina Duda and Rakiya Sheikhosman.
Duda served as Vice President and President of Edina Rotary Global Scholars. She completed her Global Scholars capstone project last year, researching literacy in Guatemala. During her research, she came across the Guatemala Literacy Project, one of the largest grassroots, multi-club, multi-district projects in Rotary. Moved, she wrote a grant application and received funding for the Guatemala Literacy Project and was named a Guatemala Literacy Fellow. She plans to study Chemistry at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
In addition to serving as co-President of the Interact Club of Edina, Sheikhosman has been involved in Project Earth and the Black Student Union. She is a Youth Environmental Activist, Hennepin County and Minnesota State Ambassador and member of the Edina Public Schools Equity Advisory Committee and Edina Asian American Alliance Policy Committee. She plans to study Environmental Studies and Policy at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
The Rotary Club of Edina also provides a $1,000 renewable scholarship to a graduating senior who is completing the Edina Rotary Global Scholars program. Andrew Piela received that scholarship. Piela has been a member of the Interact Club since his sophomore year. He also participated in Camp Enterprise and Edina Rotary Global Scholars his senior year. At Edina High School, he has accompanied the choir on piano while also leading the bass section. He founded the Music Production Club. Piela plans to attend the University of Wisconsin – Madison to study Computer Science, Finance and Mathematics.
The scholarships were presented May 24 at a local scholarship breakfast organized by the Edina Education Fund.