The Illinois Valley Rotary Club Students of the Year were celebrated during the Rotary Club’s meeting at Wild River Pizza and Brewery. These students have proven to the staff at their respective schools that they embody the Rotary’s core principles and values of truth, fairness, goodwill and benefit to their community.
LBMS student Asia Davis was chosen because she has “an open heart and a light about her,” which helps her make and maintain friendships with ease, according to LBMS Principal Danny Pratt. One of Asia’s teachers, who has known Asia since she was in the fifth grade, noted that she has “watched Asia’s personality change and grow for the better” over time.
IVHS graduate Sarah White was also given accolades, with her mother and coach Shelly White emphasizing Sarah’s abundance of kindness when it comes to things like helping her special-needs teammate on the cheer squad. Sarah is planning on attending Oregon State University in September, where she will be studying animal science with the aim of eventually becoming a veterinarian.
Also at the Rotary meeting, Teresa Matz, co-founder of Legacy Family and Leadership, spoke about her nonprofit’s mission to encourage the many struggling families of Southern Oregon to break generational cycles and strengthen their family units. While Legacy Family and Leadership has been assisting families in Grants Pass and Medford, they are looking to bring their services to the Illinois Valley eventually. These services include classes that cover a variety of topics, from foster care to divorce, as well as larger scale community workshops that focus on community resilience.