Students Taking Renewed Interest in the Value of Education (S.T.R.I.V.E)
STRIVE is a program where rotarians and non-rotarians mentor high school students in the lower part of their senior class with emphasis on preparing them for their post graduation opportunities and responsibilities while working with them to improve their grade point in their senior year. Our goal is to motivate eligible Stillwater High School seniors to discover their own strengths and talents so as to increase their personal and academic achievement. Further incentives are offered through scholarships for students to further their education.
Strive Program Scholarship Rewards
Most Improved GPA
$1,000 scholarship
Second Most Improved GPA
$750 scholarship
Best Overall GPA
$500 scholarship
Best Attendance
$250 scholarship
The Scholarship committee reserves the right to modify these qualifications if necessary
Qualifications to Receive Rewards
Maintain maximum number of STRIVE classes
Improve GPA throughout the senior year
Strive Commitment
Attend and participate in all Regularly scheduled STRIVE Meetings
Accept the STRIVE Challenge by signing a commitment form.
Report to class on time.
Bring appropriate learning materials to class.
Actively participate in the learning activities as directed.
Treat other STRIVE members and mentors with respect and dignity.
Stillwater Sunrise Rotary members will schedule STRIVE meetings approximately every three weeks at Stillwater High School throughout the year with students who accepted the STRIVE Challenge. Rotarians want to stay updated about everyone’s progress. These meetings will be approximately 60 minutes and Lunch will be provided!
A special Banquet to recognize all students and parents/guardians involved in the STRIVE program will be sponsored by the Stillwater Rotary Club in the Spring.
Ed Simonet introduced Dick Anderson who gave an inspirational talk to our guests, the students participating in STRIVE. Dick is a successful businessman here in Stillwater, Owner of the St. Croix Packet Company (Andiamo Boats), Lowell Inn plus other enterprises in Stillwater. He spoke directly to the students, detailing some of his not so perfect youth and how he struggled but enventually got his life together. He emphazied to the students that without so many jobs available in these times, they must work extra hard, and set goals
Dick emphasized 3 key items, 1st you must challenge yourself all the time. In 9th grade he wished that his shop teacher had challenged him rather then just criticize. It is important that every day that you try to do something better. He dropped out of school when he was in 10th grade and made a lot of bad decisions. His 2nd key item was to make good positive decisions. Finally in his life he began to do this when he was 27 years old. He remembers one of his teachers saying to him, “it is within your power to be anything you want to be!” He had a friend in School whom he recently met, who shared his trouble making ways in those days and today he is a very successful attorney.
His 3rd item is to give back what you have received, it is your obligation. He has been involved in helping kids that have had trouble with the law, doing this for 12 years with 25 kids at a time. He found them to have no purpose, no goals and pretty much down on life. “You, only you, have to make your own choices.
SAHA Teacher Debbie Drommerhausen, SAHA Seniors Sheila Stormont & Taylor Green, Club Vocational Director Tim Trooien
With the encouragement of Rotary District 5960, our club sponsored an Ethics Essay contest at Stillwater Area High School. Club friend and SAHA teacher, Debbie Drommerhausen assisted our Club Vocational Director, Tim Trooien in promoting this project at the High School. At the April 8th meeting, the two winning students were presented to the club. Seniors Taylor Green and Sheila Stormont were awarded prize money for their winning essays. Taylor received $500 for first prize and Sheila received $250 for second. The topics of the essays focused on ethics and modern technology.