Rotary Foundation Scholarships
ROTARY CLUB OF SCOTTSDALE
Scottsdale Unified School District Scholarships
Class of 2025
Each applicant must:
- Be nominated by your school in one of the nine scholarship categories described below.
- Be a graduating senior attending one of the five Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) high schools.
- Complete and submit the scholarship application.
- Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including the page with the Student Aid Index (SAI). This is required for all scholarship categories.
- Enroll in and attend an accredited university, college, community college, vocational or technical school by autumn, 2025.
- Provide recommendations from two teachers or other adults who are familiar with your activities with respect to the sole category in which you are applying for a scholarship. Visual Arts has a differing requirement for recommendation letters (see below).
- Attend the interview described below at the scheduled date and time.
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens and disclose scholarship dollars awarded to them on or before April 21st.
One $10,000 Scholarship [one time only - paid out over one year] for the Bob and Louise McCall Visual Arts Scholarship:
Please provide the following:
- Rotary Club of Scottsdale standard application form
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - complete application must be submitted.
- Two letters of reference from visual arts teachers, one of which should be current
- One letter of character reference (total of three letters)
- Digital images of your portfolio with an index of title, medium and size. Can be submitted on a USB flash drive or a shared link to an online storage service/tool (i.e. DropBox, Google Drive, etc.). If using a link, submit the link to your counselor to be forwarded appropriately.
- A one-page essay addressing the question "What is your passion in the visual arts and what would this scholarship mean to you to advance in the visual arts?"
One $10,000 Scholarship [one time only - paid out over one year] for The Virginia Murray Memorial Nursing Scholarship:
The Virginia Murray Memorial Nursing Scholarship - for students pursuing nursing.
One $7,400 Scholarship [one time only - paid out over one year] for the Haechler Family International Studies University Scholarship:
Haechler Family International Studies University Scholarship - for students pursuing foreign & international studies.
One $5,000 Scholarship [one time only - paid out over one year] for the Peter G. Fish First Responders Scholarship:
Peter G. Fish First Responders Scholarship - for students pursuing military service, police, fire, EMT, and other first responders.
Two Scholarships, a top winner of $3,500 and a runner-up of $1,500 [one time only - paid out over one year] for each of the following categories:
- Peter G. Fish Vocational/Trade Scholarship - technical and applied educational 2 year non-B.A. programs - students seeking careers in such fields as culinary service, police work, firefighting, health services, bookkeeping, secretarial services, agriculture, automotive repair, etc.
- Performing Arts Scholarship - drama, song, dance, orchestra, band, choir, chorus, etc.
- Athletics Scholarship - accomplishments in school-sponsored team sports.
- Peter G. Fish Science/Technology Scholarship - students seeking careers in all scientific and computer fields such as the sciences (chemistry, physics, biology, etc.), mathematics, computer hardware & software, and technology, etc.
- Peter G. Fish Business Scholarship - Provide a 2-page Business Plan* summary that discusses the following:
1. Name and Category of the Business: Consumer goods? Technology? Service?
2. Description of Business Idea: Why would it be successful? What need does it fulfill or create?
3. Marketing: the product/service to your customers?
4. Competition: by other companies & their products/services?
5. Operations: how proceed with research & development, manufacturing, selling?
6. Management Team: what professionals do you need on your team and why?
7. Financial Projections: 5-year forecast of gross revenue (selling price x # units sold), costs and net profits.
*weblink for sample business plans & discussion: [https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan]
***Additionally, the one $1,000 Scholarship [one time only - paid out over one year] for the Norval O. Tyler Scholarship, will be awarded to the best overall scholarship applicant runner-up.***
*****Haechler Family Merit Scholarships: Three (3) Language Merit Scholarships for $500 each [one time only - paid out over one year] to the top Saguaro High School students in the languages of French, Italian and Japanese per the school.*****
Instructions for Nominations, Deadline & Mailing:
Each school may nominate no more than two persons in each category.
Deadline: All nominations must be emailed and received no later than Wednesday, April 16th, from the counselors.
All submissions should be made online to the email address of scholarships@scottsdalerotary.org. Only in the category of Visual Arts will we be accepting paper copies, thumb drives or shared links facilitated by the counselors.
Time, Place & Presentation for Interviews:
Nominees will meet at 5:00 PM on Monday, April 21, 2025, on the second floor of the English Building (bldg. D) at Chaparral High School, located on the southwest corner of Gold Dust Avenue and 70th Street, Scottsdale. Nominees may have samples of their work (trophies, medals, videos, instrument, etc.) for the interview or actually perform. Students should wear appropriate attire and expect a 10-minute interview with 4-6 interviewers to complement their earlier scholarship award application.
* The interviewers will attempt to be accommodative as possible however if someone arrives after the interviews are complete the Club shall reserve the right to not conduct an interview.
Awarding of Scholarships:
Scholarship recipients will be announced at high school Senior Awards Programs. Scholarship recipients also agree to attend a Rotary Club of Scottsdale meeting this Spring/Summer (date tentative). Scholarships will be paid to the educational institutions on the winners’ behalf.
Note of Gratitude:
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale wishes to thank the generosity of Bob and Louise McCall and the Virginia G. Piper Foundation for establishing the Bob and Louise McCall Visual Arts Scholarship Prize, to Bob Murray & family for The Virginia Murray Memorial Nursing Scholarship, to Max Haechler & family for The Haechler International Studies plus Foreign Language Scholarships, and to Helen Tyler for her participation and sponsorship of the Norval O. Tyler Memorial Scholarship Award.
This year we would again like to especially recognize and thank Mr. Peter G. Fish for his very generous donation allowing the Rotary Club of Scottsdale to continue to make this scholarship program possible.
Questions:
Please direct them to your school counselor.
Are you interested in endowing an annual scholarship? Please contact The Scottsdale Rotary Club Foundation President at the following email address: foundation@scottsdalerotary.org