Friday, May 23, 2025
The Concordia Rotary International Club held its Annual Scholars’ Luncheon on Thursday, May 1, 2025. The luncheon included the recognition of this year’s C. Carl Cunningham Scholarship recipients.
The Concordia Rotary Club was chartered on November 1, 1921, by 21 business leaders.
This year’s luncheon was led by Joshua Meyer, scholarship chairman for Concordia Rotary Club, and included a speaker, Cole Stahlman, 2021 Concordia High School graduate and previous scholarship recipient.
Meyer said the requirements for students to apply for the C. Carl Cunningham Scholarship is that there is no minimum G.P.A. requirement, but they have to be graduates of Concordia Junior-Senior High School, and they are going to college within the state of Kansas.
The students are required to submit a resume for the scholarship application. They then write an essay on the Rotary Club’s four-way test. The scholarship finalists then present their essay at one of the Rotary Club meetings.
The Rotary Club’s four-way test states, “The four-way test of the things we think, say, or do. First, is it the Truth? Second, is it fair to all concerned? Third, will it build goodwill and better friendships? Fourth, will it be beneficial to all concerned?”
This year’s Concordia Rotary Club finalists for the C. Carl Cunningham Scholarship were Brigham Chavey, who received a $300 scholarship; Aubrey Stahlman, who received a $500 scholarship; and Daegen DeGraff, who received a $1,000 scholarship.
The finalists were asked what they would say to someone else looking at college and scholarships? DeGraff replied, “Apply to everything. I didn’t receive everything I applied for, but you never know what they will say, if you don’t apply.” Chavey proudly said, “Don’t be afraid to apply to all of them, don’t think you are not good enough.” Stahlman said, “Keep working hard every day, in the end, it’s not about how smart you are or the things you are, it’s about how hard you work.”
Each finalist said that they were thankful for this scholarship and grateful for the fundamentals of the Rotary Club in their lives.
