Seniors (left to right) Dylan Murphy, Brocton Central School; Megan Brown, Chautauqua Lake Central School; Austin Bourgeois, Westfield Academy and Central School; and Gwen Chase, Sherman Central School were honored as “Scholars of the Month” by the Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club during its Nov. 13 meeting at the Lakeshore Assembly of God Church in Westfield.

On Nov. 13 members of the Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club gave special recognition to four high school seniors during a meeting held at the Lakeshore Assembly of God Church in Westfield. Honored as “Scholars of the Month” were Dylan Murphy (for Oct.), Brocton Central School; Megan Brown, Chautauqua Lake Central School; Austin Bourgeois, Westfield Academy and Central School; and Gwen Chase, Sherman Central School.

In addition to Rotarians, parents and relatives of the honorees and also school officials were in attendance at this dinner meeting. Rotary Club President Mary Swanson welcomed the senior students and all of the guests. Rotarians Sheila Chapman, Barbara Fay, Luci Petrella and Dan Smith took turns introducing each of the scholars and announcing some of their many accomplishments. Swanson then congratulated the honorees and presented them with framed award certificates.

Dylan Murphy, a Brocton CSD senior and a Rotary Club Scholar of the Month for Oct., is the son of Kyle and Christine Murphy of Brocton. This senior frequently achieves honor roll status, and he is currently academically ranked second in his class. When he graduates in June 2019, Murphy will have completed six Jamestown Community College credit hours and earned his Advanced Regents Diploma.

In his junior year, Murphy received the Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Award from the University of Rochester. During that same year, he attended both the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Conference All-State in Rochester as a member of the Mixed Chorus and American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Eastern Region Conference in Pittsburgh, also as a member of the Mixed Chorus.

While he was a sophomore, Murphy held the position of class secretary, a role that he also holds in his senior year. He was inducted into the Junior National Honor Society in sixth grade, and he became this group’s president in eighth grade. As a sophomore, Murphy entered the National Honor Society, and he currently serves as its president. He has participated in chorus and band for ten years and eight years, respectively.

For two years Murphy has been a staff member of The Brocton Review, the school newspaper, and he is presently the editor. Also, he has been a part of student council for two years, and he served as its president in his junior year. Murphy has been a member of the Interact Club, a service organization, for two years, and he is now its president. He has been a member of both the junior varsity and varsity volleyball teams, and was the varsity team captain as a senior. Also, he has been on the bowling team for two years.

Outside of school, Murphy is a member of the SUNY Fredonia Upward Bound Program, during which he has participated in many community service opportunities and cultural events. He has worked at the Sunflower Cafe in Lily Dale for two summers. After his high school graduation, Murphy plans to attend SUNY Fredonia for Music Education.

Megan Brown, a Chautauqua Lake CSD senior, is the daughter of Theodore and Leslie Brown of Ripley. She will be graduating in June 2019 with an Advanced Regents Diploma with Honors and with Science Endorsement.

To say that Brown is active in school is an understatement. She is a member of the student administration, “Super Student Administration,” building team student representative, and has been president of her class for three years. Since she was in ninth grade, Brown participated in school musicals. She is a member of the CLSC A Capella group, and she has participated in the All-County Music Festival.

Academically well rounded, Brown has excelled in every aspect of her education. She received excellence awards in band, English, math, Spanish, history and science. She has been named CLCS Student of the Month, and has received the Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award.

In addition, Brown has been a member of the varsity volleyball team, which recently won the Section VI Class D1 championship, has participated on the varsity track and field team, and is a member of the ski club. Her hobbies include knitting, writing, reading, running, biking and playing guitar. She volunteers at Bethany Campy, and at her church, where she is a member of the youth group and the worship team.

After graduation, Brown plans to attend a four-year college, such as Loyola or Houghton, where she intends to pursue a career in creative writing, screenwriting, or drama.

Austin Bourgeois, a Westfield Academy and CSD senior, is the son of Steve and Peg Bourgeois of Westfield. He will graduate in June 2019 with a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation with Mastery in Mathematics, and he will have earned 24 college credits by having taken various Jamestown Community College English, math and public speaking courses.

Bourgeois is a four-year member of the senior high chorus, Westwinds (a select choral ensemble) and Ape-Men (an all-male singing group). He is a member of the drama club, and he has held roles in the school musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Into the Woods, A Christmas Carol, and Cinderella.

This senior has demonstrated strong leadership ability. Bourgeois was the vice president of his class in his sophomore and junior years, served on the prom committee, and is a member of student government. In athletics, he is a member of the varsity football, wrestling, and track and field teams. He serves as captain of the varsity wrestling team.

During his sophomore year, Bourgeois was inducted into the National Honor Society. In his junior year, he was selected for the Athletic Sportsmanship Award, the RIT Innovation and Creativity Award, and was the JCC College Connections Junior of the Year. Outside of school, he worked at the Barcelona Cafe.

In the fall of 2019, Bourgeois will attend either Rochester Institute of Technology or Penn State Behrend to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Gwen Chase, a Sherman CSD senior, was raised by her mother Bridget Eddy, her stepfather Scott Eddy and her father Lane Chase. Currently academically ranked as eighth in her class, this senior is a member of the National Honor Society, and she holds the position of president in both student council and her Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. She was sponsored by the Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club to participate in the Rotary District 7090 Student Leadership Award Program for Students High On Training (SLAPSHOT).

Chase, who was the District 10 Regional FFA President for the 2017-2018 year, traveled across the state to present different programs for students in agriculture classes. Also, she spoke with Senator Cathy Young and Assemblyman Andy Goodell about current struggles in her rural community. As an honorable FFA member, Chase participates in various competitions relating to agriculture and leadership. She loves going to FFA camp in the summer and teaching others about what it means to be a leader in agriculture.

Always busy, Chase has been in all of the school drama plays, is a member of SADD, and regularly participates in community service activities, such as food packaging for the less fortunate and leaf raking, through FFA or other school programs.

Outside of school, Chase works hard on the farm, where she has eight horses. As a part of FFA, she had to select a Supervised Agricultural Experience. She bought a horse at a local auction, trained her to be ridable, and she now spends her time showing her horse and competing in Hunter Jumper Paces. On a local farm, Chase cares for calves and heifers, and she uses farm equipment to produce and harvest crops. She also works with heavy equipment in a gravel pit. She also spent a year tapping trees and learning about turning sap into maple syrup products. On weekends, she is a server at Red’s Best Pancake House in Sherman.

Chase is currently completing her certification course in Equine Massage Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, and Kinesiology Taping to further herself in the Equine Industry. She is taking Jamestown Community College accounting, keyboarding, and English courses to further her business education. Chase was awarded a scholarship to Jamestown Business College (JBC), where she plans to pursue a degree in Marketing and Management. Following her high school graduation and in addition to attending JBC, she intends to start her own business related to her certifications, as well as to develop a horse training facility to train and sell horses, along with boarding horses and teaching others to ride.

The Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville is proud to honor Dylan Murphy, Megan Brown, Austin Bourgeois and Gwen Chase as outstanding high school scholars and young leaders with bright futures.