American Legion Harrisville Post 852 Commander Odis Hamilton congratulates Cana Severson, first place winner in the American Legion Butler County Council’s annual essay contest.

From left are the American Legion Butler County Council’s annual essay contest’s second place winner Stephanie Lynch and third place winner Olivia Rock. Submitted Photo

The American Legion Butler County Council has announced the winners of its annual essay contest.

The contest is for students in sixth- through eighth-grade and ninth- through 12th-grade and has been running for the past 88 years.

The county council is the first to recognize the sixth- through eighth-grade winners at the county level.

This year’s winners in ninth- to 12th-grade were: first place, Cana Severson, Post 852 Harrisville; second place, Stephanie Lynch, Post 474 Zelienople; and third place Olivia Rock, Post 778 Lyndora. The winner in 6th- through 8th-grade was Adria Severson, Post 852 Harriville.

American Legion Harrisville Post 852 Commander Odis Hamilton congratulates the 6th- through 8th-grade essay winner Adria Severson. Submitted Photo

Marleah Schlick of Harmony holds the plaque that came with her $5,000 Rotary scholarship alongside the chairman of the Rotary District Scholarship Committee, Randy Richardson from Westminster College. Submitted Photo

The Rotary Club of Zelienople presented Marleah Schlick of Harmony with the Club’s $5,000 Rotary District 7280 Scholarship.

Schlick attends Duquesne University in Pittsburgh as a pharmacy major working toward her doctorate degree and has maintained a 4.0 grade point average. The Zelienople Club sponsored her application. She had previously received the Club’s “Doc” Viola Community Service Award Scholarship when she was a senior at Seneca Valley High School.

The Rotary District 7280 scholarship is awarded annually to a college sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student who demonstrates exceptional leadership and service experience and aptitude. This year’s competition featured eight scholarship finalists representing five Rotary clubs and eight colleges and universities. The elite group of servant leader scholars demonstrated public service, leadership achievements and academic scholarship that resonates in the district, on college campuses and in the world beyond.

The District 7280 scholarship selection committee included two Rotarians whose experience in community work, leadership and education is extensive: Linda Clautti of the Rotary Clubs of Cranberry-Noon and Mike Patsy of Cranberry AM Rotary.