The Lexington Park Rotary Club awarded $40,000 in scholarships and grants to fourteen St. Mary's County students on June 5th. The club awarded a $10,000 four-year scholarship to Mary Feng and Jennifer Kiang, both of Leonardtown, and Ashley Ridgeway of St. Mary's Ryken. Ms. Feng also received the $1,000 Mike Marlay award for the most outstanding student in St. Mary's County.
The club awarded its $2,000 Vocational-Technical grant to Sabrina Barnes of Leonardtown. The club also awarded $1,500 grants to Diane Mattingly, Priya Ramaswamy, and Katie Staso, all of Leonardtown. $1,000 grants were awarded to Rebecca Rivera and Abbie Vanderwest of Leonardtown and David Benes of The King's Christian Academy. Abbie Vanderwest also received the $1,000 Anne Houston Green Music Education grant.
Jonathan Toms of Great Mills received the $1,000 Greg H. Clarke Engineering grant. Ashley Downs and Hannah Allen of Great Mills and Katherine Mast of Chopticon both received a $500 grant. Katherine Mast also received the $1,000 Doris Darrah Mathematics Education grant.
"Our club is delighted to honor these students for their hard work in high school and to help them achieve their life goals via a college education," commented Frank Kohler, president of the Lexington Park club.
The club sponsors the annual Oyster Festival and a number of other fund raisers to fund its scholarship program. The club meets at Nicolletti's Restaurant on Mondays at noon. The Lexington Park Rotary Club is dedicated to the Rotary motto, "Service above Self."
PHOTO: Left to right, first row Hannah Allen, Priya Ramaswamy, Ashley Ridgeway, Mary Feng, Jennifer Kiang, and Katherine Mast. Second row Abbie Vanderwest, David Benes, Diane Mattingly, Jonathan Toms, and Ashley Downs.