The Rotary Club of Salisbury has awarded five college scholarships, continuing its longstanding support of youth in our community.
Four students received awards from the Helen C. Wootton Scholarship Fund. Ms. Wootton was a long-time employee of the Wicomico County public school system. She believed every student should have the opportunity to further his or her education. This fund was established at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore in her name to honor her service to the youth of this community and provide scholarships to students from each Wicomico County public high school.
The scholarships are awarded to students demonstrating a commitment to service, exhibiting leadership and a strong alignment with Rotary’s Four-Way Test code of conduct. The Four-Way Test asks: Is it the truth, Is it fair to all concerned, Will it bring goodwill and better friendships, and Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
2026 scholarship recipients are:
- Jayden Matthews from James M. Bennett High School, attending University of Maryland College Park to study community health.
- Paige Blum from Parkside High School, attending University of Maryland College Park to study accounting.
- Samantha Yobst from Mardela Middle and High School attending University of Delaware to study kinesiology.
- Se’Lah Foreman from Wicomico High School attending Saint Francis University to study communications digital media.
The Rotary Club of Salisbury additionally awards a scholarship honoring former Rotarian Charles Whitmore. This scholarship was established with the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore by Mr. Whitmore’s family in 2016. It provides a scholarship to a female senior accepted into an engineering program at the post-secondary level. The 2026 recipient is Ava Holland, graduating from Parkside High School, who has been accepted into the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina.
Robin Evans, this year’s Rotary Club of Salisbury Scholarship Chair, said the scholarship committee was pleased with the number of strong applications. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support our students and help them continue their educations.”
The Rotary Club of Salisbury is in its 107th year of service to our community. Interested in becoming one of the club’s People of Action? Contact BJ Summers at 443-880-4296 or bjsummers072481@gmail.com.
