Senior Lexi Tater was honored as the November Rotary Student of the Month. She was chosen for her leadership abilities and academic excellence. Tater was pleasantly surprised when she found out that she had received the award. 

“I was quite surprised,” Tater said. “ I was definitely not expecting it, but I am very grateful.” 

Typically, the Rotary Students of the Month are invited to attend a luncheon. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions the ceremony was held virtually through a Zoom meeting. Although Tater did not get the typical experience, she enjoyed being a part of the meeting.

“Being a part of the rotary meeting was very eye opening,” Tater said. “ It was interesting to see what leaders in our community are doing. I sat and listened to a speech given by the president of Grand Valley State University. I also presented a speech to the rest of the Rotary Club.”

Tater was asked to choose a person of significance to accompany her on the call. She chose history teacher Aaron Blain.

“I had him freshman year of high school and we immediately connected,” Tater said. “I ended up having him sophomore year as well, and I went in his room before and after school most days. He was a great role model and mentor. His knowledge of history always fascinated me and made me very curious to learn more. One time, I was having a bad day and he handed me his ¨Happy Light¨ and told me to bring it home and study with it. Ever since then I have just always admired his heart.”

Tater was grateful to be recognized by the Rotary Club and has learned a lot from the experience. 

“I am grateful for the experience and the honor,” Tater said. “I have worked very hard in school and extracurricular activities, so it means a lot to me that my efforts have been recognized. I learned more about our community and more about what the Rotary Club is. I learned about Grand Valley´s initiative for COVID as well.”