In the beginning…
As student
scholars, family, friends, and fellow Rotarians gathered under a May gray afternoon, Co-President Bill Prather welcomed all and proclaimed the Rotary Club of Ojai to be “the best Club I know!”. Bill celebrated the achievements of these students and thanked the Rotary Club of Ojai Educational Foundation (RCOEF) for the massive amount of work and time in selecting these very deserving awardees.
We were also celebrating the induction of two new members-Lisa Elliot Rosas and Leah Hecker.
The flag salute was ably led by Tony Thacher.
Christine Golden’s Inspirational Moment was from The Way of Zen:
Do one thing at a time.
Do things slowly & mindfully.
Connect deeply with
People & nature.
Meditate frequently.
Appreciate silence.
Expect nothing.
Be grateful for everything.
Observe without judgment.
Consume less, create more.
Let go of fears and desires.
Listen to understand,
Not to respond.
Be patient and generous
Love deeply.
Live simply.
New Member Induction
Deirdre Daly took the podium to present and induct Leah Hecker and Lisa Elliot Rosas:
In 2001 Lisa started her own press and sales showroom Company; EM Productions. The company helps startups by providing press, sales, branding, costing, and merchandising expertise.
Lisa wrote a 3-volume book: How to Build a Successful Brand which she self- published on Amazon.
She began her own consulting agency, Lit Up Brand, to write business plans for brands wishing to start or expand their businesses. Lisa also created and produced an App to help people balance their lives: MastFlow. It was an app on Apple.
Leah Hecker has spent 30 years as part of the German movie and tv business, first on set, then as a producer for tv stations and some of Germany’s largest studios, finally founding her own production company which mostly specialized in comedy feature movies for the German market. She ’ve always believed in volunteer work and tried to incorporate it in my life whenever possible. She volunteered as interviewer for Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation for years, headed an apprenticeship program for new creative talent at the tv station I worked for, taught script writing at different media schools and courses and was on the board of various charities.
Congratulations and welcome our Club. We look forward to getting to know you and working with you both!
Presentation of Scholarships-Dave Watson
David Watson, our tireless RCOEF Director, recognized the hard work and dedication to the difficult task of awarding scholarships to our local graduates. We want to thank David for his infinite patience and his experience in the selection process.
The awardees are:
Julietta Alferez-Nordhoff HS-Mawardi CTE Scholarship
Amelia Bagley-Nordhoff-Friend’s Scholarhip
Kali Cockrell-Nordhoff-Canterberry-McCurley CTE Scholarship
Madeline DeMauro-Nordhoff-Amado Scholarship
Rowan Keith Gillooly-Nordhoff-Wilson Scholarship-1st of 4 years
Lillitha Hill-Nordhoff-Robert E. Chesley Scholarship
Giovanni Jimenez-Nordhoff-Ted Fauvre Scholarship
Brennan Ledbetter-Nordhoff-Eleanor Rupp Scholarship
Landen Melendez-Villanova-Father Glynn Scholarship
Sol McGarey-Nordhoff-Rotary General Scholarship
Aidan McPherson-Dike-Nordhoff-Alice Skankey Scholarship
Madden Miles-Nordhoff-Hanrahan Scholarship
Brenley Minkel-Nordhoff-Huntsinger CTE Scholarship
Maya Mouderres-Villanova-Frank and Maudette Finck Scholarship
Eric Murillo-Nordhoff-Jacobs Scholarship
Rodrigo Ortiz-Martinez-Nordhoff-Canterberry-McCurley Scholarship
Drake Ross-Nordhoff-Dana Huffman Scholarship
Rafael Livingston-Grant-Sierra-Nordhoff-Thacher Scholarship
Natalie Sojka-Nordhoff-Shari Skinner Scholarship
Christofer Cardenas-Legacy-Rotary CTE Scholarship
Oliver Furness-Legacy-Rotary CTE Scholarship
Savannah Johnston-Hall-Rotary CTE Scholarship
Taylor Rogers-Legacy-Rotary CTE Scholarship
Yoshimi Tassone-Legacy-Rotary CTE Scholarship
Kolbe Fink-Nordhoff-Wilson Scholarship-4th year scholarship.
Ella Giuliani-Nordhoff-Wilson 3rd year scholarship
Karen Murillo-Nordhoff-Wilson 2nd year scholarship
David recognized and congratulated the school counselors and teachers in attendance.
Final Thoughts
President Bill closed the meetings with these words from Nelson Mandela:
Education is a powerful weapon: Education can change people, communities, nations, and the future of humanity. An educated person is respected everywhere: knowledge is a lifelong asset that can never be taken away, and the more you learn, the clearer and more positive your self-image lives.
Congratulations students and a congratulations to our Rotary Club’s two newest members. Thank-you.
The Rotary Club of
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