Submitted photo High school seniors (left to right) Gregory Lapp of Brocton Central School (for October); Chloe Smith of Westfield Academy and Central School; Karli Gifford of Chautauqua Lake Central School; and Seth McFadden of Brocton Central School were recognized as “Scholars of the Month” by the Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club at its Nov. 19 session at the Lakeshore Assembly of God Church in Westfield.

Four outstanding high school seniors were recognized as “Scholars of the Month” by the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville during its Nov. 19 meeting at the Lakeshore Assembly of God Church in Westfield. The honorees and their respective schools were Gregory Lapp, Brocton Central School (for October); Chloe Smith, Westfield Academy and Central School; Karli Gifford, Chautauqua Lake Central School; and Seth McFadden, Brocton Central School.

Rotary Club President John Hamels welcomed the scholars, their parents, school administrators, and Rotarians to the session. After dinner and some club business, Dan Smith, Club Youth Services Chair, outlined the various youth services activities which this Rotary club supports, and he led the program. Then he and Rotarians Barbara Fay, Luci Petrella and Sheila Chapman each introduced one of the scholars and announced some of the many accomplishments of these notable high school seniors.

Gregory Lapp, the son of Christopher and April Lapp of Brocton, is a Brocton Central School senior. As of now, Lapp is academically ranked first in his senior class, and he is headed towards being named as BCS Valedictorian. By the time he graduates with an Advanced Regents Diploma, Lapp will have earned 24 Jamestown Community College credits. He has regularly achieved high honor roll status throughout his high school career.

Lapp is a leader in his school. He is president of the BCS Chapter of the National Honor Society and the president of the Interact Club, which is the high school service organization that is affiliated with Rotary International. During all four of his high school years, Lapp has been the secretary of student council, and he continues to be involved with all of its activities. Lapp is the co-editor in chief of the Brocton Review, the extremely prestigious school newspaper which has won many state-wide awards. Also, Lapp is an active member of the BCS Envirothon Team.

Lapp currently works as the statistician for the varsity baseball team, and clock-keeper for his school’s basketball and volleyball teams. He has volunteered for many different events throughout his high school career, such as participating in the Interact Club’s bottle and can drive to raise funds for local and international service projects. He has also helped to serve food at the Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club’s annual Gold Rush event. This year, Lapp hopes to continue doing many more service activities.

In the future, Lapp plans on attending D’Youville College to study psychology, while completing his pre-med prerequisites for medical school. He hopes to enroll at University at Buffalo in its anesthesiology program and become an anesthesiologist.

Chloe Smith, the daughter of Mark and Billie Jo Smith, is a Westfield Academy and Central School senior. During her high school career, this outstanding senior enrolled in Advanced Placement Microeconomics, courses for graduation requirements, and various Jamestown Community College courses from which she will have earned 25 college credits. In June of 2020, Smith will graduate with a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation.

Smith has earned several school awards. She was selected for the Sage Award, was Junior of the Month in June of 2019, and she received the President’s Award for Educational Excellence. During the summer of 2019, Smith received the Alumni Association of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle Scholarship. As a recipient of this award, Smith participated in a week-long writers’ symposium at Chautauqua Institution.

Also, Smith is a member of WACS Academic Bowl, Key Club and Ski Club, and she served as class treasurer. She is a member of senior high chorus, drama club, and Firecrackers, an all-female choral group. Smith has been active on the stage in several school drama productions. She has held roles in “Into the Woods,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Outside of school, this senior volunteers for countless hours at the Patterson Library in Westfield. In the fall of 2020, Smith will attend either SUNY Oswego or SUNY Geneseo to pursue a degree in creative writing. Her long-term goal is to earn her Master’s Degree in Library Science.

Karli Gifford, the daughter of Dustin and Pamela Gifford of Sherman, is a Chautauqua Lake Central School senior who is on track to graduate in June of 2020 with an Advanced Regents Diploma with Honors and Science endorsement. She is academically ranked in the top ten of her class. She has consistently been named to the honor roll every quarter.

Gifford has received recognition for her outstanding work in French, history, math and science. She earned the Rochester Institute of Technology Creativity and Innovation Award. Also, she was the first recipient of the CLCS Empathetic Award for her acts of empathy towards others who were struggling. She has also been recognized as a CLCS Student of the Month in previous years.

A very active CLCS student, Gifford is the current CLCS Chapter of the National Honor Society President, a four-year member of student administration, a member of peer educators, and a varsity tennis team member. She was the founder of the CLCS Lego Project, when she was inspired by the journey of a fellow student with cancer. This project gained faculty and community involvement by collecting, organizing and distributing Legos to hospital outpatients who were undergoing cancer treatments.

Outside of school, Gifford has worked as a lifeguard at Chautauqua Institution’s beaches and fitness center, and also at Chautauqua Escapes. Her equestrian activities include being a member of the Lake Effect Interscholastic Equestrian Association Hunter Jumper Team, which is based on hunter/jumper and hunt seat equitation disciplines. Gifford has competed in IEA regional championships at Alfred State and West Virginia State. She is a member of the U.S. Dressage Federation, which is based at the Serenity Equine Center in Warren, Pennsylvania, and she placed fourth in the USDF 2019 Dressage Junior Riders Finals.

Following her high school graduation, Gifford plans to attend a four-year university, such as RIT, Syracuse or Ithaca. She intends to pursue a degree in architecture or graphic design.

Seth McFadden, the son of Todd and Tracey McFadden of Pomfret, is a Brocton Central School senior who will graduate in June of 2020. He has been on the honor and high honor roll for most of his middle and high school years. He has been a member of the BCS Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society, and he was recognized as a BCS Student of the Month during his junior year.

Athletically, McFadden has been active with the BCS Running Club, varsity baseball and varsity basketball. He was captain of the varsity basketball team. During his senior year he played with the Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton Varsity Football Team.

McFadden has volunteered his time by helping with the Brocton Portland Midget Football program and the BCS Elementary Field Days. He is CPR certified, and he has worked at the BCS Fitness Center for the past three years.

McFadden is currently attending the BOCES Career and Technical Education Program for Sports Conditioning and Exercise Science. He intends to be certified as a personal trainer in June. After his high school graduation, McFadden plans on attending Jamestown Community College to study Sports Management for two years, and then transfer to SUNY Brockport to pursue a degree in physical education.

The Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville proudly recognizes Gregory Lapp, Chloe Smith, Karli Gifford and Seth McFadden for their many notable academic and extracurricular achievements, and it wishes them continued success as they complete their high school careers and pursue their college degrees.