Huntington Seniors Capture $16K in Rotary Scholarships

The Huntington Rotary Club presented $16,000 worth of scholarships to six exceptional members of Huntington High School’s Class of 2024.

This year’s scholarship recipients include Charlotte Gordon, Reese Rinaldi, David Dorilus Dax, Ella O’Heir, Aidan Wheeler and Aidan Geller.

Rotary Club officials Ford Spilsbury and Kelly Smith announced the awards and spoke about each of the honorees during this year’s senior scholarship night ceremony in the high school auditorium.

The Huntington Rotary Club was founded in 1925. It is a chapter of Rotary International, a 1.2 million member worldwide service organization.

The Huntington Rotary Club has awarded scholarships to remarkable Huntington High School seniors since the 1930s. This year’s recipients are held in high regard by the members of the school’s administration and faculty as well as by their classmates.

The Huntington Rotary Club has awarded Huntington High School seniors with $160,000 in scholarships over the past decade. This year’s six Rotary Club scholarship recipients have each devoted an impressive number of hours to performing community service and they have all taken leadership positions in various student organizations.

Ms. Gordon and Ms. Rinaldi were both presented with $4,000 Service Above Self scholarships for their impressive volunteer work.

Ms. Gordon is valedictorian of Huntington’s Class of 2024. She is headed to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. President of the Key Club and concert mistress of the high school’s symphony orchestra, the teenager also served as editor in chief of The Dispatch, Huntington’s student newspaper.

Ms. Rinaldi will be attending the University of Georgia. She is planning on a career as a lawyer. She’s been a three sport athlete, winning varsity letters in soccer, basketball and lacrosse. The teenager has served as treasurer of the high school’s National Honor Society chapter. One of the top photographers in the senior class, she said the key to her success has been “being involved” as it has taught her time management skills along with how to work efficiently.

Mr. Dax and Ms. O’Heir both garnered $2,500 Rotary Club scholarships. Mr. Dax intends to study economics and finance at Stony Brook University. He has served as a social justice ambassador and as an officer in the high school’s Varsity Club. He was on the mock trial team that was among the finest in the state. The teenager won varsity letters in football, winter track and spring track.

Ms. O’Heir will be attending Fairfield University. She has been a standout student and athlete, notching varsity letters in field hockey and golf. An exceptionally hard worker, she said the key to her success has been staying motivated in all of her classes. She hopes to complete a five year master’s degree program in only three years with credits from a long list of Advanced Placement classes she completed during high school.

Mr. Wheeler received a $2,000 Rotary Club scholarship. He will be attending the University of New Hampshire. The teenager was chosen for the highly selective American Legion Boys State government leadership program. An award winning photographer, he also competed on the Blue Devil varsity bowling team.

Mr. Geller is the recipient of a $1,000 Rotary Club award. He plans to study environmental science at the University of Tampa. He has held leadership positions with the Interact Club, Social Studies Honor Society and A World of Difference club. A member of numerous academic honor societies, he was a key member of the Blue Devil marching band.