Zanesville Rotary Club presents Phoenix Awards

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- The Zanesville Rotary Club presented their annual Phoenix Awards Tuesday afternoon.

This year, six students received the Phoenix Award for demonstrating outstanding perseverance academically, while overcoming difficult circumstances outside the classroom.

“[It’s] very important to identify students from each of the school districts who have persevered throughout their academic years regardless of family or personal hardships. Sometimes they’re medical hardships, sometimes they’re just family economic woes, but yet these students continue to persevere, get good grades and have set goals such as going to college,” said Don Mason, President of Zanesville Rotary Club.

The Phoenix Award is a part of the service projects that the Rotary Club of Zanesville established in 1999.

“Our goal is to help these students identify their future and help them strive for that future, but almost as importantly, we want the students to understand there are people outside, who are looking at them, see them, and we notice their accomplishments and we want to reward them,” said Mason.

The 2017 Phoenix Award Recipients are:

Jocee Janicki, Tri-Valley High School

Omar Scott, Zanesville High School

Ryan Van Meter, John Glenn High School

Bret Thompson, Maysville High School

Madisyn Farus, West Muskingum High School

Makayla Staker, Philo High School.

One recipient, Omar Scott, shared his story of the hardships he had to overcome throughout his childhood.

“Growing up it was not easy, my mother and father were addicted to drugs,” said Scott.

Scott said that school and sports played a key factor in his perseverance.

“I try to push that life I don’t have at home, I try to push that away, I try to think of school being my home, my friends, and them being my brothers and sisters,” said Scott.

The awards came with a $1,000 scholarship to the higher education institution the student will be attending.