Veronica Herrero, Jesse Pollak, and Grace Reyer are the 2020 recipients of Croton Rotary Club’s Stanley H Kellerhouse Scholarship, awarded in recognition of meaningful community service, documented by essays, that exemplify the Rotarian motto “Service Above Self.”
Veronica Herrero volunteered as an assistant teacher in adult English classes. The classes teach immigrant Hispanic adults through Literacy Solutions. It opened her eyes to how important it is for adult students to learn English, to thrive in the community and, most important, contribute to the community.
Veronica also gained appreciation of the value immigrants from all backgrounds bring to American culture.
She is headed to University of California, Berkeley next fall, with a tentative major in pre-med/public health.
Jesse Pollak turned his passion for chess into meaningful community service. After founding and directing the Croton Harmon District Chess tournament, he assisted at the Westchester Chess School, and also began a chess program at a local detention center for youthful offenders.
Jesse realized that one of the beauties of chess is that it transcends age, race, religion, gender, and socio–economic background. He helped the boys discover a new way to use their minds and have some control over their worlds, which had once seemed impossible. It showed him and others how people can grow and change through stimulating new interactions. Jesse will enter Tufts University as an engineering major.
Grace Reyer was recruited to play Division III women’s soccer this fall at Emory University, where she will major in either business/nonprofit or environmental science.
Her passion for sports led her to become involved in the Challengers Basketball Clinic, for students with special needs. During her three years working at the clinic, Grace saw the fun and enjoyment the students had through athletics.
Grace is grateful that her involvement in the Challengers Clinic afforded her a unique opportunity to witness the many positive attributes of the special athletes that she wouldn’t have otherwise known about.
