We are pleased to announce that Dunwoody High School (DHS) senior Melanie Smith has been unanimously selected to receive the club's first Service Above Self scholarship. Ed Holliday and Tina Philpott worked with Mary Sturken, the DHS teacher who works with our Interact Club, to review the applications and essays received, and all agreed that Melanie was our best choice among several applicants to receive this scholarship that's intended to recognize and inspire Service Above Self.

Melanie is the President of the DHS Interact Club and has been serving the community for several years - including participation in the VolunTeen and Holiday Helper programs at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Rise Against Hunger, the Intown Collaborative Ministries Food Pantry, Special Olympics and the Dunwoody Nature Center's Butterfly Festival. She attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) in Americus, learning leadership techniques she says will be part of the rest of her life.

Melanie will be attending the University of Georgia and hopes to be a Child Life Specialist or Occupational Therapist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. She will receive a $2,000 scholarship that can be renewed for up to another three years. We thank her for her service and wish her the best for the future.

We hope to have Melanie join us at a meeting some time soon.