Canton Rotary Club Awards Heart for Service Scholarships

The Rotary Club of Canton has awarded college scholarships to six Cherokee County graduating high school seniors.

The club presented its Heart for Service scholarships May 14 at Canton City Hall with the student honorees and their families, teachers, and principals in attendance.

The scholarships were awarded to students who embody “Service Above Self” through community service and extracurricular involvement. Each student received a $1,000 check for their post-secondary education, a certificate of recognition, and a Rotary “Create Hope in the World” pin as a token of appreciation for their contributions to the community.

The scholarship recipients are:

Eylianis Gomez-Culbert, Cherokee High School

Eylianis is a student at Cherokee High School and a member of the Interact Club of CHS. She plans to start college in August 2024, pursuing a degree in finance with a minor in French at the University of North Georgia.

Jocelyn Alexandra Leal, Cherokee High School

Jocelyn is a student at Cherokee High School and a member of the Interact Club of CHS. She plans to start college in August 2024 and pursue a degree in immigration law and public relations at the University of North Georgia or Georgia College and State University.

Karielys “Karie” Rivera Alvarez, Cherokee High School

Karie is a student at Cherokee High School and a member of the Interact Club of CHS. She plans to start college in August 2024, pursuing a business degree at Kennesaw State University.

Liliana Marie Quintero, Cherokee High School

Liliana is a student at Cherokee High School and a member of the Interact Club of CHS. She plans to start college in August 2024 and pursue studies in biology (pre-med) at Belmont University in Nashville.

John “JT” Marshall Ivers, III, Creekview High School

JT is a student at Creekview High School. He plans to start college in August 2024 and pursue a degree in psychology at Georgia College and State University.

Julian Douglas Noaker, Sequoyah High School

Julian is a student at Sequoyah High School and a member of the Sequoyah Robotics Interact Club. He plans to start college in September 2024 and pursue a doctorate in astrophysics at the University of Michigan.

The scholarships are part of the club’s Empowering Young Leaders Initiative.

“Presenting scholarships to deserving students not only resonates with Rotary’s motivation to create hope in the world, but also aligns with my personal conviction to serve and uplift our community," said Rotarian Whitney Spear. "I am incredibly proud of every scholarship recipient, and I wish them the best as they transition into college.”

The club also presented Weston Moore with a Certificate of Recognition for representing its community-based Interact Club of Cherokee County at the Rotary District 6910 Interact Conference in March. Weston is a homeschooled student and is part of the Classical Conversations program in Woodstock.

“Supporting youth is one of the main inspirations of Canton Rotarians,” said Rotary Club of Canton President Francisco Lozano. “We are very proud and thankful for our young leaders who devote their ‘hearts for service’ to make our community happier and better. We are honored and blessed by the opportunity to contribute towards their education, recognize them, and show appreciation for their community work. The kindness, generosity, and compassion of these young servant leaders make our present joyful. The hope they are creating makes the future of our community and the world brighter.”