OSWEGO – The Oswego Rotary Club continues its long tradition of presenting scholarships to four outstanding 2023 graduates of the Oswego City School District. The action marked the 96th anniversary of the club’s founding and continued its collaboration with the Richard S. Shineman Foundation and Pathfinder Bank, whose financial contributions help support the awards.
According to club President Thomas Ingram, “The distinguished seniors we honor this year have not only excelled academically but have served their community generously.”
The Richard S. Shineman Oswego Rotary Scholarship honors the memory of Richard Shineman, long-time member of Oswego Rotary Club and advocate for the philanthropic work of Rotary around the world. Regionally, his namesake foundation now serves to improve the quality of life in Oswego County and Central New York by providing financial assistance to not-for-profit organizations.
– The Shineman Scholarship was given to Kelwin Reyes, son of Miguel Reyes of Puerto Rico and custodial son of Richard and Laurie Yule. His school activities included varsity cross country (scholar athlete for three years and captain for two years), indoor and outdoor track (scholar athlete and captain for one year each), and basketball (scholar athlete for one year). He was a member of the Leadership Council for one year. He earned highest honors twice and high honors seven times. His work and other community activities included PJ’s Ice Cream, Pressbox Sports Bar and Restaurant, lawn and landscape work, Attention to Detail (car detailing), as well as Oswego Boxing Club, Jack Bobbett Memorial Run, and Run for Autism.
Reyes will enroll at SUNY Brockport to study adolescent Spanish education.
-The Charles E. Riley Oswego Rotary Scholarship remembers the founding president (1927–1930) of the Oswego Rotary Club and former superintendent of the Oswego City School District and was presented to Anna MengPing Cloonan, daughter of Pamela Cloonan.
Cloonan was a member and officer of the National Honor Society and secretary of the class of 2023. She devoted much time to musical activities including Marching Buccaneers, Syracuse Symphoria Young Artists Orchestra, Oswego County Music Educators Association Solo Festival, Area All State, and Conference All State. She also participated in varsity indoor/outdoor track for four years and in the Social Activism Club and Oswego County Academic Youth League. Her contributions to the community included the Children’s Museum, donating to a food pantry, playing bingo with elderly residents of Bishop’s Commons, helping middle school band students, volunteering at middle school track meets, and playing in the Oswego High School theatre pit orchestra. She was on highest honor roll for four years.
Cloonan will attend Cornell University to study music performance and English.
-Miah Grace Metott, daughter of Michael and Dawn Metott received the Ralph & Dorothy Faust Oswego RotaryScholarship. Faust served as president of the Oswego Rotary Club (1934–1935) and was formerly principal of Oswego High School. During his tenure he invited children from Safe Haven to study at the high school.
Metott’s school activities included modified swimming and diving, Oswego County Academic Youth League, Marching Band, Winter Guard, National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Spanish Club. She served as a lifeguard for the school and city, and worked with the Child Advocacy Center, Parents of Special Children, Oswego County Youth Court, Oswego YMCA, and Leadership of Oswego County Youth. Among her awards were a scholarship from Children’s Board of Oswego, Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor, and New Vision High Honor Roll.
Metott will attend Medaille University to study veterinary medicine.
The Anthony J. Murabito Oswego Rotary Scholarship is given in memory of the former principal of Oswego High School, an active member of the Oswego Rotary Club for more than 51 years, club president (1967 – 1968), and a leader and advocate for the Rotary scholarship program. The award is given to Leon Lin, son of Shusong and Xiuhong Lin.
Lin played varsity tennis and was a member of the Spanish Club, Math Club, Social Activism Club, and Interact Club, serving as officer of some of them. His musical involvements included Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, New York State School Music Association Solo Festival, Conference All State Band, All County Band, and Area All State Band. Besides working in his family’s restaurant, he was an intern in the office of Dr. Vilma Junio where his work involved cleaning, paperwork, and supplies to assist the professional staff. Lin has been cited with several awards, scholarships, and recognitions.
Lin will attend Rochester Institute of Technology to study biochemistry with a concentration in Pre-Med.
-The Ruth N. Mulford Career and Technical Education Award honors the memory of Ruth Mulford, the first woman to join the Oswego Rotary Club and the member who first proposed an award for career and technical education students who were prepared for gainful employment after high school. Mulford was on the professional staff of the Center for Instruction Technology and Innovation (CITI), then Oswego County Board of Cooperative Educational Services. The award is given to affirm Rotary’s appreciation of the dignity of all useful work and respect for the people engaged in all productive occupations. Selection is based upon the applicant’s demonstrated skill in the chosen field and demonstrated leadership ability.
This year’s award was made to Anthony DeStevens who completed the Industrial Electrical Technology program. He is the son of Matthew and Kristina DeStevens.
DeStevens earned the CITI Most Employable Award and the Top of Class Award. He participated in varsity wrestling before the pandemic. When school activities were curtailed, he focused his attention on the electrical field and building and operating race cars. He enrolled in an internship at Scriba Electric and was so highly regarded for his knowledge, work habits, dependability, and attitude that he was moved to a paid internship. He plans to continue working at Scriba Electric while taking courses at SUNY Oswego.
Oswego Rotary Club
The Oswego Rotary Club, founded in 1927, raises money for scholarships through members’ dues and contributions, occasional memorial gifts, and fundraising projects. The club, with financial support from Pathfinder Bank, hosts the annual Top 100 Dinner — except during the coronavirus pandemic — 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 to the Oswego Rotary Foundation, Inc. will be held in perpetuity, with only the earnings used for awards.
Members of the Scholarship Committee this year are Selma Sheridan, Carrie Penoyer, Randy Zeigler, Terrence Gorman, and Vernon Tryon.
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