Allentown-West Rotary awarded nine $1,000 scholarships to students from Northwestern Lehigh and Parkland high schools, Lehigh Career and Technical Institute and Lehigh Carbon Community College May 16 at the Rotary’s scholarship breakfast at LCCC.

A very special $500 scholarship in memory of Rotarian Michael Henry was also awarded.

Students applied for these scholarships by completing a new online application requiring general information including academic performance and paragraphs describing school and community service involvement, leadership skills, and future career goals.

Service and leadership were the twin characteristics which formed the basis of the selection process along with a strong academic record.

The scholarship selection committee met and reviewed the 40 applications.

Selection committee members included Amir Famili, Gwenn Carr, Cindy Rosevelt and Jerry Frank along with Dr. Barbara Kistler as chairwoman.

Jeff Wilner, general manager at Amazon.com in Breinigsville and the Human Resources Manager Mary Singer presented each of the winners with a Kindle Fire compliments of Amazon.com.

Northwestern Lehigh High School winners include: Hallie Harrington, Reuben Kemmerer and Brandon Shah.

Northwestern representatives were Superintendent Dr. Mary Anne Wright, Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Holman and high school Counselor Erica Gross.

Harrington is no stranger to the Allentown-West Rotary Club, both she and Kemmerer were named Rotary Students of the Month by their counselors.

Harrington raised money for children in Haiti through her church and because of her efforts was chosen to go to Haiti to meet the orphan children there. It changed her life.

Her leadership skills are also exemplary since she serves as Student Council president with oversight and planning of all the various programs and fundraisers including Mr. Northwestern and the Pennsylvania Special Olympics.

She is the youngest of eight children and plans to continue using her leadership and service attributes.

Harrington is planning to attend Indiana Wesleyan University to become a pastor.

Kemmerer serves in whatever position he finds himself.

He participates in numerous fundraisers and clubs including Key Club, Investment Club and National Honor Society.

Through his church he also participates in Love Lehigh Valley and consciously works to serve and help others.

His leadership skills are demonstrated on his cross-country team where he is captain.

His humility and generosity are commendable.

Kemmerer is planning to attend DeSales University.

Shah is a well-traveled young man. He realized on his travels that most of the world does not have the same advantages as most of us.

He and his twin sister were determined to do something that would help those who were less fortunate.

They started an organization called Charms for Charity, making charms and selling them for the Lehigh Valley Red Cross.

The funds they raised were used to buy blankets, food and other necessities for children displaced by house fires.

They received a “Heroes of the Red Cross” award for these efforts.

At school, he was instrumental in starting the Tiger Fund Investment Club to bring together students with a passion for finance.

This new club has more than 50 members and meets periodically to help students better understand the stock market and personal investing.

Students managed $100,000 of fictitious money and Shah solicited college professors to come to the school to speak about investing. Shah will be attending Penn State’s Smeal College of Business in the Sapphire Leadership Program.

LCTI student winner was Benjamin Fry, whose home school is Northwestern Lehigh. LCTI was represented by Dr. Mark Covelle, newly named academic center principal.

Fry, part of the Emerging Health Professionals program at LCTI, helped raise nearly $238,000 total for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He, himself, raised more than $10,000.

Class president at Northwestern Lehigh for four years, he is vice president of the Science Olympiad team, where he competes in the anatomy and physiology event.

He volunteers through his church, National Honor Society, Student Council and Health Occupations Students of America.

Fry wants to study molecular and cell biology at Johns Hopkins University to eventually become a doctor.