“Scholars of the Month” distinction by the Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club at its Feb. 12 meeting at the Lakeshore Assembly of God Church in Westfield were seniors (left to right) Riley Rivera, Brocton Central School; Noah Knappenberger, Westfield Academy and Central School; Shannon McKee, Chautauqua Lake Central School; and Josie Allen, Sherman Central School.

WESTFIELD — On Feb. 12 at the Lakeshore Assembly of God Church in Westfield, the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville gave recognition to four local high school seniors as “Scholars of the Month” for February. The honorees included Riley Rivera, Brocton Central School; Noah Knappenberger, Westfield Academy and Central School; Shannon McKee, Chautauqua Lake Central School; and Josie Allen, Sherman Central School.

Present to honor the scholars were families, friends, school administrators and Rotarians. Mary Swanson, Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club President, welcomed everyone. Following dinner and some club business, the four scholars were introduced by Rotarians Sheila Chapman, Barbara Fay, Luci Petrella and Dan Smith. Smith, who is this Rotary Club’s Youth Services Chair, coordinated the recognition.

Various accomplishments of each of the honorees were announced. Then the scholars stated their future college and career plans. Each of the seniors was awarded a framed certificate and a pen, which were presented by Club President Swanson.

Riley Rivera, a Brocton Central School senior, is the son of Carlos Rivera and Lisa Merrill of Brocton. This scholar has always selected a full schedule of challenging and interesting classes. He has regularly achieved honor roll status, and with a cumulative average of 91.119, he is currently academically ranked fifth in his class. Rivera will graduate this June having completed 18 Jamestown Community College (JCC) credit hours. He will receive an Advanced Regents Diploma.

In addition to success in the classroom, Rivera participates in varsity basketball and varsity baseball. He was a member of last year’s Brocton Bulldogs championship baseball team. Rivera’s future plans include attending Bryant and Stratton College to prepare for a career as a physical therapy assistant.

Noah Knappenberger, a Westfield Academy and Central School senior, is the son of Lon and Kimberly Knappenberger of Westfield. This scholar, who is currently enrolled in Advanced Placement Microeconomics and required courses, will have earned 30 college credits through Jamestown Community College and SUNY College at Buffalo by the time he graduates in June with his Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation.

During his junior year, Knappenberger was inducted into the National Honor Society because of his strong character, leadership, scholarship and service. He currently serves the WACS Class of 2019 as secretary. Also, he is a four-year member of the senior high chorus and the senior high band. He was a member of the handbell choir, and he played the handbells for the school musical, “The Adventures of Nickelboy.”

Knappenberger is a member of the High School Academic Bowl, runner’s club, varsity soccer team and the varsity track and field team. He has held employment at the Brick Walk Cafe and Webb’s Captain’s Table. In the fall of 2019, he will attend Rochester Institute of Technology to major in Aerospace Engineering.

Shannon McKee, a Chautauqua Lake Central School senior, is the daughter of Lisa Ann Gierszal of Chautauqua. A strong academic student, McKee is academically ranked in the top ten of her class. She has taken almost every Advanced Placement and dual enrollment course that her high school offers. Currently she is taking classes at JCC in the morning and returning to CLCS for her afternoon classes.

McKee was named to the JCC Part-Time Student Dean’s List, and also was honored as the JCC College Connections Student of the Year last year. She has taken all courses available at CLCS in the foreign languages of French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. McKee, who is a member of the National Honor Society, was named CLCS Student of the Month. She was selected to attend the Empire Girls State program, and she earned the Rochester Institute of Technology Computing Medal.

Active in school clubs and activities, McKee has served as treasurer of both her class and the CLCS Chapter of the National Honor Society. Also, she has been a member of the High School Academic Bowl team, prom committee, peer mentoring, book club and ski club.

Being musically gifted, McKee has been in her school’s musicals for four years, and has participated in Total Vocal, an a cappella group that performed at Carnegie Hall. She plays the flute and piccolo, and she has performed at the winter and spring Chautauqua County Music Teachers Association All County Festivals, as well as in county and state solo festivals. This senior also competed in the Chautauqua Area Scholarship Program, and the Chautauqua Regional Youth Symphony.

McKee’s other activities include playing on the varsity girls soccer team and serving as its captain, and being a member of the Chautauqua Lake Rowing Association, for which she volunteers with boat house clean up. Volunteering is a big part of her life. She has volunteered for the Chautauqua County Humane Society, the Chautauqua Institution Winter Festival, the Mayville Winter Festival, and she played an elf for Santa at the Chautauqua Mall. After graduation, McKee will attend either Rochester Institute of Technology or Allegheny College, where she will major in Biomedical Science with a focus in Kinesiology or Exercise Science.

Josie Allen, a Sherman Central School senior, is the daughter of Willard and Amy Allen of Sherman. With a GPA of 98.54, she is currently academically ranked fourth in her class. She will earn college credits for the two JCC courses and one Advanced Placement course in which she is enrolled. Allen is a member of the National Honor Society and will graduate in June.

Since the seventh grade, Allen has earned honor roll status. She received the Bausch and Lomb Science Award and the Jamestown Business College Scholarship of Excellence award. She is a member of student council, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Fellowship of Christian Students, is an active member of class fundraising and events, and has had roles in three school musicals. During her 8th and 9th grade years, Allen played basketball. Since 7th grade, she has been on the Sherman Trap Team.

Allen has taken many agricultural classes, and she has been a member of the Sherman Future Farmers of America (FFA) since 7th grade. She has served as the FFA Jr. Chapter treasurer, treasurer, president, and is currently president. Allen is also the NYS FFA District 10 President, and she serves all of the FFA clubs in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Alleghany Counties. Through the FFA, she has earned the Jacket Award and the State Empire Degree.

Outside of school, Allen participates in multiple activities. Through the Chautauqua County 4-H program, she has raised hogs for ten years to sell at the Chautauqua County Fair. At this fair, she has served in the leadership role as junior superintendent in the hog barn. In 2016 she was gifted a dairy calf to raise, train, show at the fair and with which to grow her dairy herd. She also recently received beef calves to raise with a partner. Allen is also a member of the New York Farm Bureau and worked at Finn-Star Farms, where she milked dairy cows several days each week. Other activities she enjoys are relaxing with friends, riding four-wheelers, hunting, fishing and playing with her animals.

Allen, who plans to major in Animal Science in college, has applied to Penn State Behrend, Cornell and SUNY Cobleskill. She has been accepted to Penn State Behrend, and, if she chooses this school, she will study biology at the Behrend Campus for two years and then transfer to Penn State Main Campus to earn her degree. If Allen is accepted to and chooses to attend either SUNY Cobleskill or Cornell, she will enroll in undergraduate Animal Science program. She plans to choose a focus as she continues her studies, going into either livestock production or agricultural education.

The Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville proudly congratulates Riley Rivera, Noah Knappenberger, Shannon McKee and Josie Allen on their many outstanding achievements, and it wishes them much success in their college studies as they prepare for their respective careers of physical therapy assistant, aerospace engineering, biomedical science and animal science.