Locust Valley Rotary Scholarship Winners 2011       

As part of the Locust Valley Rotary Club’s commitment to the youth of our own community, the club has awarded college scholarships to Ryan Brunetti, Meredith Carr, Allison Huysman, John Ruhl, Katelyn Tisch, and Mark Vessalico, six high school seniors from our area. All of the Rotary Scholarship recipients share qualities of leadership and excellence accompanied by a record of service to their school and community.  The Joseph Stimola Sr. Memorial Rotary Scholarship was given to Melissa Bales to honor the memory of that distinguished educator and long time Rotarian. This year this memorial scholarship was supported by the donations of friends and family in honor of the 90th birthday celebration of Joseph’s widow, Evelyn.

Each recipient was introduced to club members at their meeting at the Locust Valley Inn on June 16, 2011.

Ryan Brunetti, a senior at Chaminade High School, stands at the top of his class, excelling academically in all subjects. At school, Ryan runs track and works on the yearbook. His love of science has led him to participate in his school’s Science Olympiads as well as a research internship at CW Post, involving the use of genetic engineering in the development of bio-fuels. During his summers, Ryan has worked in Bayville as a lifeguard and swim instructor. He has focused his community service on the cardiac and intensive care units at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, serving over two hundred hours there during his high school years. His work at the hospital with patients and staff has confirmed his decision to become a doctor, and he will be attending George Washington University in DC where he was accepted into the 7 year BA/MD program. 
         
As treasurer and then co-president of her Interact Club, Meredith Carr has taken the lead in organizing and directing community service at Locust Valley High School.  From multiple drives for food, toys, blood, cell phones, school supplies and more, whether fundraising for Neurofibromatosis or families in need, she has gone above and beyond, helping our own club at our Oktoberfest, Food and Wine Event and the Spaghetti Dinner. She has served the homeless at the Soup Kitchen in Glen Cove as well as underprivileged girls at the Holiday House in Huntington.  A competitive equestrian, Meredith has spent hours riding and caring for horses. As a talented singer, she was selected for her school’s chamber singers. This fall she will enter the school for Industrial Labor Relations at Cornell University.

Allison Huysman’s resume of community service is extensive, acting as the secretary for the Interact Club and Team Captain for the Relay for Life, in addition to manning the Matthew Fetzer Toy Drive, her church’s fashion show, the Autism Walk and more. As an animal lover, she has volunteered her time at Petco and at the Animal Lovers’ League caring for cats awaiting adoption.  She is active at her school in the IB Leadership Club, the Environmental Club and the model UN. Academically, she has been recognized for outstanding achievement in Biology and Spanish. She has traveled in Europe and Asia. She plans to study Animal Science at Cornell University, although her interests in Biology and Foreign Languages may also be explored there.

Hard-working and reliable are words used to describe John Ruhl’s contribution to the Chaminade Educational TV Service. As president of his school’s A/V Club, he was responsible for the maintenance and distribution of the school’s Audio-visual equipment throughout the school. A member of Locust Valley Troop 962, John has worked his way up to Senior Patrol Leader and is in the process of earning his Eagle status. Through his school and his Troop, he has spent countless hours serving his church and his community. A top student, John is also a skilled pianist. He has worked during his summers at the Creek club. Showing dedication and persistence, John earned a spot on the Chaminade Riflery team his junior year. Attending Providence College in the fall, John intends to pursue a career in languages.

Katelyn Tisch ‘s enthusiasm for her intended field of study is contagious. Fascinated at a young age by tornadoes and thunder storms, Katelyn plans to study meteorology at Cornell this fall. Her goal is to work at the National Severe Storms Laboratory to help to improve our ability to predict severe weather patterns. During her time at Locust Valley High School, Katelyn has served her school as President of the Athletic Council, the Science Olympiads and the Forensics Club as well as Captain of the Cheerleading Squad and First Violin of the Orchestra. Through the Interact Club, she has participated in Relay for Life, coordinating the opening and closing ceremonies. She has earned a Silver Medal as a Girl Scout, traveling to London as a cadet. During her summers, she has worked as a camp counselor and during the school year as a tutor.

Mark Vessalico is a talented young man. While playing for both his varsity baseball and golf teams at Locust Valley High School, Mark has also pursued the school’s most vigorous academic program. As an active member of the Interact Club, Mark has participated in the Relay for Life, blood drives, toy drives and more. In addition to volunteering at the Bayville Haunted Firehouse, he has served his church as an acolyte, lay reader and as the coordinator of a supply drive for the Glen Cove Homeless Shelter.  Mark represented his school at the Model UN Conference in Washington DC and participated in his school’s newspaper as the sports editor and lead sports writer. During his summers, he has worked as a golf caddy, in addition to performing scientific research at Stony Brook University and economics research at the New York Institute of Technology. In the fall, Mark will attend the University of Pennsylvania.

Melissa Bales, by any measure, has excelled academically at Locust Valley High School and is this year’s salutatorian. As a research associate at Stony Brook University, she studied the link between a shark’s DNA and its migration patterns, diet and parentage. For her work, Melissa was named an Intel Science Semi-Finalist. She has received recognition for her outstanding ability in Math and Science, competing in local fairs, and as captain of her school’s News Channel 12 Long Island Challenge team. As Vice President of the Interact Club, Melissa has participated in a myriad of activities centered around community service. In addition, she has served in the Junior Auxiliary at the North Shore University Hospital. As the co-captain of her varsity cross country team, Melissa qualified for the All State Meet this year and was elected to the Athletes Helping Athletes Program. Melissa has been an outstanding violinist since the second grade and has participated in her school’s musical productions over the past two years. She will attend Princeton University this fall, hoping to pursue a career in medicine that will enable her to work for Doctors Without Borders. For her outstanding record of service and passion for science, Melissa is this year’s recipient of the Joseph Stimola, Sr. Memorial Scholarship.