Photo Provided By Deer Park Rotary Club
The high school students pictured from left to right are Minnifani James of Mary Walker High School, Aaron Harris of Deer Park High School, and Emily Zollers of Riverside High School.
The Deer Park Rotary Club members picked three students for March’s Student of the Month.
Deer Park School District
Aaron Harris, a Deer Park High School student, is one of this year’s Valedictorians. Aaron has been a Deer Park School District student for his 13 years of education. He is a gifted percussionist with the school’s Jazz, Concert, and Marching Bands. He plays a full ensemble percussion of Stick Drums, Steel Pans, Big Drum, and Marimba, and he especially enjoys playing the Quad Drums in the Marching Band. Aaron is a Link Crew member and likes connecting Freshmen with all the opportunities he’s had at Deer Park High School. He participates in STAG TV and is the Chief Editor of the school newsletter. He is a Boy Scout and recently attained Eagle Scout. He loves to explore nature and recently took a 2-week camping trip in Southern Utah and Arizona, visiting all the national parks. Aaron competes in Track with the Pole Vault and Triple Jump. He loves art, especially painting and drawing. He wants to study Fine Arts and has been accepted at the University of Washington, Western Washington, Washington State, and Boulder, Colorado. He received a scholarship from the Art Institute of Chicago but is unsure if he wants to live in Chicago. He scored 1400 on his SATs and hopes to be one of three who apply for Art at Harvard. He loves movies and wants to explore Art Direction making meaningful movies and stories.
Riverside School District
Emily Zollars, a Riverside High School student, thanked her parents and stepmom for all of their support throughout the school years. Emily is involved in many school activities and recently got her Drone Pilot’s License through the New Tech Skill Center. She has participated in Construction at Riverside for two years and is looking at that as a career. Her GPA is 3.8. She has spent four years in the Jazz and Concert Band and plays several instruments. Now learning to play the piano, she can also play the tuba, saxophone, and baritone clarinet. She has also had four years of higher-level math, which has been a challenge, but she has happily pursued it. Emily has been involved in the construction of the new middle school expansion at Riverside and is very interested in the ability to build with steel. She is currently looking at the ROTC program at Central Washington University and wants to Major in Construction Management and Minor in Civil Engineering.
Mary Walker School District
Miniffani James is from Mary Walker High School’s alternate learning program. She has served as the Captain of the Cheerleader Squad for four years and has greatly mentored the freshman girls. She is all about Spirit. Miniffani introduced her grandparents as her true inspiration. She joined the Springdale Women’s Club three years ago and has been President for the last two years. Her grandmother is in the club as well. In addition, she has participated as a community volunteer in fundraisers, cemetery cleanup, and her favorite, the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. School is a true joy, and she holds a 3.6 GPA. Her passion for Photography and Music has pointed her toward a career in Digital Media Production, and she has been accepted at Spokane Falls Community College for that program. “Perseverance” is a word that rules her life. Overcoming difficult obstacles has taught her to persevere and never stop trying. Miniffani closed by thanking Rotary for this opportunity.
What is the Deer Park Rotary Club?
The Rotary Club of Deer Park is about serving others, building relationships, and developing the next generation of leaders. Its annual fundraising events provide scholarships and educational activities for local students. In addition, every month they select and honor outstanding high school students within our community. Their programs are for more than just club members. For more information or how to make a difference in your community through Rotary, visit: DeerParkRotary.com.
