Rotary Club of Rosemount

The Rotary Club of Rosemount is pleased to announce that Rosemount High School senior Natalie Hillerson is the April 2013 Student of the Month.

Natalie is the daughter of Marcy and Duane Hillerson. She was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and moved to Rosemount in 2004.

As a Rosemount High School student, Natalie has excelled. She has maintained a 4.0 throughout high school while taking challenging AP, CIS and honors courses. She has also been named an AP Scholar, received the Dartmouth Book Award, was named Science Student of the Year, was Student of the Month in all of her science courses and was a Triple A Award nominee. Additionally, she is part of the National Honor Society and National French Honor Society – the latter being very important to Natalie as she enjoys learning about and sharing language and culture.

On top of her academic achievements, Natalie has been very involved with the Speech Team in which she served two years as captain, earned an All-Conference Honorable Mention in Prose her junior year and the same award in Informative Speaking and Prose her senior year.  She has also been involved with golf and the school newspaper – both of which she finds cathartic activities that allow her to take a break from the stress of school life.

Natalie is also an active member of the community as a volunteer for the Dakota County Libraries, a founding member of the Teen Advisory Group at the Robert Trail Library, a volunteer for Minnesotans United for All Families, a volunteer middle school speech coach, a French tutor and a student ambassador.

Reflecting on her high school experiences, Natalie says the two greatest were her travels to France in 2011 and to Germany in 2012. She particularly enjoyed immersing herself in new cultures and creating life-long friendships abroad. In fact, Natalie’s German host and best friend, Leonie, will be visiting the Hillerson family this summer.

When Natalie isn’t studying or volunteering, she can be found reading, spending time with her family playing games or watching television and exploring the Twin Cities and its music scene with friends.

And because she does love a stellar music scene – as well as a college with academic rigor – Natalie will be heading to the University of Washington in Seattle this fall where she intends to pursue a major in molecular, cellular and developmental biology with either a minor or double major in French.  During college, she also hopes to travel abroad and eventually apply for medical school with the intent of becoming a forensic pathologist.

Congratulations to Natalie on all of her achievements, and our well wishes for her future!

The Rotary Club of Rosemount is pleased to announce that Rosemount High School senior Meghan Olson is the March 2013 Student of the Month.

Meghan has spent her four years at Rosemount High School engaged in a whole variety of academic, community and personal projects. At the top of her list was completing a wide array of honors, AP and college courses, which allowed her to be challenged while working in small groups. Her efforts have been rewarded with a 3.892 GPA that puts her in the top ten percent of her class and recently being named an AP scholar after passing the three AP tests she has taken.

Meghan is involved with National Honor Society, Student Council and Student Ambassadors. She is also a big part of performing arts at Rosemount High School, having participated in more than 20 theater productions in the last 10 years,  being a member of various choir groups and serving as one of the three presidents of the concert choir.

Outside of school activities, Meghan has served four years as a Rosemount City Youth Commissioner and is currently serving as vice chairperson. She is also involved with the Gifted and Talented Advisory Council, Teen Advisory Group at the Robert Trail Library, Caroling for a Cause, is a volunteer for the ISD196 Early Childhood program and helped to plan and carry out the OneRosemount event this past March.

Following graduation, Meghan plans to attend the University of Wisconsin Stout, where she is one of three recipients of the Stout Scholarship, which is $5,000 renewable for up to four years, or a maximum of $20,000 per student. She will major in retail merchandising and management and double minor in business and Spanish.

In her spare time, Meghan enjoys spending time with family and friends, singing, dancing, acting, reading, shopping and drinking cocoa while watching old episodes of Friends.

A 2011 Rosemount Person of the Year nominee and all-around rock star mom and person, Denise Kniefel is a pillar of the Rosemount Rotary Club. She is a charter member, past president and administrative committee member – though she often pitch hits for the fundraising and membership committees, too.

Denise joined Rotary because of her desire to do something bigger. The local and international aspects of Rotary provided a fit for those ambitions. She has also has found enjoyment in the social aspects of working and spending time with her fellow members.

When Denise isn’t busy with work or Rotary, she can be found with her husband, Mark, and two children, Danielle and Alex. The Kniefels are an active bunch, often found on the field or the sidelines of Dakota REV soccer, attending activities at Shannon Park Elementary, traveling, jogging, biking, going out for gelato or ice cream and spending time with friends. Denise also enjoys dabbling as a wannabe foodie, armchair-judging reality dancing competitions with her daughter and tackling short-distance runs.

While his credentials might lead you to assume that Rosemount Rotarian John Wollersheim bleeds purple and gold, a quick peek at his veins would lead you to discover that his blood courses maroon and gold.

Perhaps one of the biggest Gophers fans you’ll find, John’s general enthusiasm for education in Minnesota has made him an essential component in building Rosemount Rotary’s STRIVE program with Rosemount High School. John’s intention in joining Rotary was to find ways to connect Rosemount High School to the community, and the STRIVE program provided a means to make that happen. That said it is no surprise that John’s favorite Rotary memory is awarding the first STRIVE scholarship.

Outside of work and Rotary, John is a husband and father to four children. He is also part of the Rosemount Community Leaders group, the Rosemount Yellow Ribbon Committee and is busy working on his dissertation to complete his doctorate from Bethel University.

The Rotary Club of Rosemount is pleased to announce that Rosemount High School senior Allison Fischbach is its February 2013 Student of the Month.

Allison is the daughter of Jeff and Cathy Fischbach, sister to Nate and Joe, and proud co-owner of long-awaited canine family member, Benji. She has been a resident of Rosemount for nearly all her life and thoroughly enjoys being part of the community.

A lover of learning, Allison is currently ranked #1 in her class of 528 with a 4.0 GPA – a challenging feat when one considers that she primarily takes AP, CIS and honors courses. Given her taste for academic rigor, it is no surprise that Allison has been named student of the month in all of her science courses, as well as statistics.

Homework is only the beginning of the items on Allison’s to-do list. She is president of the Student Council, a member of the National Honor Society, involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and finds herself involved with planning and executing a wide variety of events at RHS through her involvement in these organizations.

One of Allison’s great passions in life is for the French language. As such, she is president of the National French Honor Society and completes a number of projects with the organization. She has also grown her passion for French by meeting and sustaining contact with an individual she met through a pen pal project in 10th grade. The opportunity has allowed her pen pal to visit here, and for Allison to have taken a trip to France.

Allison also has a strong passion for completing service projects. She is currently raising money the Polar Bear Plunge benefitting Special Olympics (you can support her at this link: http://www.plungemn.org/plunger/allyfischbach), frequently volunteers for a variety of activities at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Rosemount, has a completed a variety of mission trips, and volunteers for 4-H and its Youth Teaching Youth program.

In her free time, Allison enjoys spending time with family, kneeboarding and wakeboarding at the lake, spending time around the campfire, reading novels (particularly those by F. Scott Fitzgerald), photography, learning about the brain and absorbing science knowledge (she has a particular love for listening to TED talks).

After high school, Allison plans to attend either Drake University in Des Moines or the College of St. Benedict, eventually making her way to the University of Minnesota Medical School so she can become a pediatric neurologist.

Here part of Allison’s speech to the group here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KzTC7qigSk&feature=youtu.be

Laura Briggs is a Rosemount Rotarian who exemplifies “service above self” in nearly everything she does.

Laura is a charter member of the club, president elect, international service chair, foundation chair and community service chair. She also pitch hits for the fundraising and public relations committee as needed. Laura joined Rotary because of her conviction that no one does community involvement better than Rotary.

As a member of Rosemount Rotary, Laura’s favorite service project was the club’s first annual food drive, which collected more than 2,000 pounds of food for the Rosemount Family Resource Center. She also cherishes the memory of the club’s first-ever fundraising event, the Irish for a Day Soiree.

In addition to her Rotary responsibilities, Laura is involved with Rosemount Leprechaun Days, Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce NEXT Leaders and is a foster parent to a revolving array of adorable dogs up for adoption through Pet Haven of Minnesota.

While Laura is up to take on almost any challenge, there are two things that she actively avoids: shellfish, because she is allergic, and fish, because she has an intense fear of them.

The Rotary Club of Rosemount is pleased to announce that Rosemount High School senior Taji Onesirosan, son of Tiffany Holm and Fuji Onesirosan, is its January 2013 Student of the Month.

Taji is a 3.5 GPA student who proudly proclaims that he has challenged himself with a number of honors and AP courses throughout high school, which becomes a particularly impressive feat after a look at his extra-curricular and community involvement.

A spirited athlete, Taji is a letter-winner and captain of his tennis team, as well as a letter-winner and captain of the RHS football team that advanced to the State Tournament semi-final game this year. His team focus and accomplishments helped him become a two-time winner of the Irish Spirit Award and winner of the Pat Tillman award, which goes to a student who puts the team above self.

In addition to athletics, Taji is also an outstanding vocalist who has been part of the choir for four years, serves as co-president of the Concert Choir, and has received Best of Site Honorable Mention, three superior and three excellent ratings for his performances. He is also involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society and is vice-president of the Student Council.

Taji recently went on a mission trip El Salvador that gave him the opportunity to evaluate and identify the blessings in his own life, which he says helped him to realize it was his turn to be a blessing to others. In that spirit, Taji remains very active in his church and leads a group of 4-5-year-olds each Sunday, volunteers with the Dakota River Valley project, mentors a fifth grade student at Shannon Park Elementary every Friday and encourages the organizations and groups he is involved with to take on service projects like Feed My Starving Children and visiting nursing homes.

Given Taji’s outstanding character and athletic, academic and art abilities, he was recently awarded the prestigious Triple ‘A’ award, which is given to Rosemount High School seniors who excel in the classroom by maintaining a 3.0 or higher, participate in athletics or fine arts, exhibit citizenship and are respected in the community and exemplify high standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct and moral behavior.

After high school, Taji plans to attend Bethel University and major in business.

 View the acceptance speech Taji gave to Rosemount Rotary here: http://youtu.be/fWdjP1xIjTE

The Rotary Club of Rosemount is pleased to announce it will host its annual Irish for a Day Soiree fundraising event on Saturday, March 16, 2013, at the Rosemount Community Center.

The event is a fun and casual affair that serves as the club’s sole fundraising event. Dollars raised support Rosemount Rotary projects such as its mentoring program at Rosemount High School, cleaning up Central Park in Rosemount, work at the Rosemount Family Resource Center, providing polio vaccinations around the world and so much more.

On the agenda for the evening is entertainment from Legacy, a local Celtic band, Irish dancers, a raffle, silent auction, cash bar and a fabulous traditional Irish meal catered by Rosemount’s Las Tortillas Restaurant, which anyone who has attended the event before will tell you is the hit of the evening.

Individuals interested in purchasing tickets for the event should contact any Rosemount Rotarian, call Erin at 952-261-6133 or email rosemountrotary@gmail.com. Tickets are $40 per person.

The club is also seeking silent auction items and sponsors for the event. If you are interested in supporting the club, please email rosemountrotary@gmail.com or contact any Rosemount Rotarian for more details.

DOWNLOAD THESE DOCUMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Click here if you are interested in donating to or sponsoring the Irish for a Day Soiree.

Click here for the electronic event invitation.

Click here for details and more information on the Irish for a Day Soiree.

Please join the Rosemount Rotary for an open house. It is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about Rotary!

Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 |  5:30-7 p.m.  | Fireside Restaurant – Rosemount

• FREE and open to the public – all guests welcome! • Free appetizers
• Network with local leaders and business people • Meet new people
• Discover new opportunities to get involved in the community
• Learn more about Rosemount Rotary and its members

Event invite here: https://www.facebook.com/events/473668752678739/