Senior Ari Abraham was honored as September Rotary Student of the Month. He was chosen for his leadership skills and academic excellence. Abraham was pleasantly surprised when he found out that he had received the award.

“Initially I was filled with excitement that was tainted with dread,” Abraham said. “I received the notice in the mail on Friday afternoon for the luncheon that I would have to make a speech at on Monday, which is incredibly short notice. Overall, it was exciting to see that I had received the award and got to attend the luncheon.”

Abraham was asked to choose a person of significance to accompany him at a luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club. He chose math teacher John Mauro.

“I picked Mr. Mauro because he was one of the first teachers I had in high school and I have been around him throughout high school with InterAct Club, which is affiliated with Rotary, Abraham said. “I filled out a Scantron with a pen in his class which is rather amusing looking back. He graded it by hand and threw it at me when he returned the test. I think about it every time I fill out a Scantron now.”

Abraham was grateful to be recognized by the Rotary club and learned a lot from the experience.

“Being adaptable is one of the most important skills to have,” Abraham said. “I had to prepare a speech and coordinate a teacher to attend with me with only three days’ notice. While the conditions were certainly not ideal, it was a great honor to have the opportunity to share some things about myself to the Rotary and receive the award.”