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Kansas City, Kansas Rotary Club Educators of the Year for 2021

During the month of May, the Kansas City, Kansas Rotary Club continued its focus on education by honoring some very deserving local educators.

On May 4^th, National Teacher Appreciation Day, we recognized outstanding educators from eight Wyandotte County high schools. This annual program of the Kansas City, Kansas Rotary Club honors teachers in the county who represent the best of our community. The teachers were introduced by each respective school’s administrator, and the Club learned of each teacher’s unique contributions to the individual schools. Each educator received a certificate and a gift card to show our appreciation for their work during this particularly difficult year. We are grateful to these teachers who give so much of themselves to educate and prepare our youth for the future.

Top Row: Bret Klankey, Turner High School; Shawna Stevenson, Bonner Springs High School; Carol Grubbs, Piper High School; and Jasmine Lowe, Wyandotte High School

Bottom Row: Katie Johnson, Sumner Academy; Hillary Klein, J.C. Harmon High School; Michael Boyda, F.L. Schlagle High School; and Maria Belaustegui, Bishop Ward High School

KCK Rotary Student Scholarship Competition

During the month of April, the Kansas City, Kansas Rotary Club, as part of its annual Student Scholarship Competition, recognized outstanding high school students from Wyandotte County schools. One female and one male student from each school are nominated by their respective school’s staffs to compete for $1,500 college scholarships. All the students exemplify the highest academic, service and character standards in our community. We can all be proud of these Wyandotte County students, and we are excited about their bright futures.

Due to the pandemic, the KCK Rotary Club continues to meet via Zoom. The female students, accompanied by school representatives, made short presentations at the Club’s Zoom meeting on April 13^th, and the male students presented to the Club on April 20^th.

The Club will choose one female and one male from these outstanding high school students to receive a $1,500.00 scholarship to be used at the college or university of the student’s choice. The scholarship announcements will be made in early May.

Female Speakers – April 13, 2021:

Clockwise from upper left: Jennifer Obiesie, Piper High School; Lizbeth Martinez, Bishop Ward High School; Jazmin Graham, Bonner Springs High School; Jaleon Brown, Sumner Academy; Katerin Molina Peraza, Wyandotte High School; Kenia Ramirez, F.L. Schlagle High School; Leslie Chavez Hinojos, J.C. Harmon High School; and Elizabeth Thang, Turner High School.

Male Speakers – April 20, 2021:

Clockwise from upper left: Christian Renteria, Sumner Academy; Aaron Johnson, F.L. Schlagle High School; Blake Beashore, Piper High School; Roberto Ramirez, Turner High School; Reynaldo Lopez, Bishop Ward High School; Ian Tomasic, Bonner Springs High School; Miguel Flores, J.C. Harmon High School; Saul Franco Morales, Wyandotte High School

KCK Rotary Celebrates Women's History Month

To celebrate Women’s History Month, the Kansas City, Kansas Rotary Club welcomed several accomplished women as speakers at its weekly meetings.

On March 2, 2021, the Club was joined by Dia Wall, Edward R. Murrow and Mid-America Emmy award winning anchor at KSHB Channel 41 Action News in Kansas City. Ms. Wall began her remarks by sharing that she is passionate about equity. She cautioned that we must be careful about how we report or chronicle history and explained how she exercises that care in her role as a news anchor. Ms. Wall emphasized that you should listen to everyone and should not require that someone look or act a certain way before valuing that person’s words or actions.

On March 9, 2021, Sharla Smith, Ph.D., MPH, an assistant professor at The University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City and founder of Kansas Birth Equity Network (K-BEN), presented to the Club. Dr. Smith’s current research focuses on maternal and infant health disparities. She explained to members that societal factors such as poverty and residential segregation, together with unconscious biases, lead to race-based disparities in both infant mortality and maternal health. The mission of K-BEN is to eliminate health disparities by increasing awareness of the high rate of African American maternal and infant mortality and connecting individuals with local resources.

On March 16, 2021, our speaker was Teneca Clark, General Manager of Production for Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Regional Vice President. Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company is the local Coca-Cola bottler for Kansas and Missouri as well as for parts of Nebraska, Illinois, and Oklahoma. Mentioning that she works in a male-dominated field, Ms. Clark acknowledged the many role models whom she credits with leading her toward a career in science. Her stated goal is to “change the default” in the workplace. For young people to pursue careers in STEM related fields, they need to see people who look like them in those roles.

On March 23, 2021, the Club heard from Robin C. Henry, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of History at Wichita State University, who has written numerous articles and a couple of books focusing on her primary area of study, gender and sexuality and legal and constitutional rights. Dr. Henry’s presentation focused on women’s suffrage and the passage of the 19th Amendment, in honor of the 100^th Anniversary of its passage which occurred just last year.

Closing out the month, Club member Ashley Adorante led Club members in a fun evening of Virtual Bingo!

July 2021
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In July we welcome the opportunity for service at Kaw Point Park!

July 27, 2021: Service Project at Cross-Lines!

In lieu of our regular Noon meeting, on July 27th, the Club will be packaging commodities boxes at Cross-Lines Community Outreach, Inc., with an optional lunch at Breit's on the patio beforehand.

In order to volunteer, you must sign up by Friday, July 23rd, at Noon. If you plan to volunteer, please send your name to Rosemary Podrebarac. We strongly, strongly encourage all to wear masks while indoors at Cross-Lines, with the new delta variant confirmed in Wyandotte County.

Want to learn more? Email us.

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