Inspiring Aquinas senior receives Youth Committee Community Service Award
 
We received a thank your from Elissa Nott...see note.
 
Elissa Nott, a senior at Aquinas High School, was honored at our meeting April 12 as this year's winner of the Rotary Club of La Crosse Youth Committee Community Service Award.
 
Elissa, the daughter of Steve and Charlotte Nott of Onalaska, was a Rotary Student of the Month in February 2017. She has been an extremely active participant in the Aquinas Interact Club, including serving this year as club president. Among many duties in that role, Elissa provided extraordinary leadership of the 2018 iFeed event as Aquinas was responsible for organizing the international food packing stations on the day of the event. Interact is just one of Elissa's many community service activities. She has been active in the Aquinas IMPACT organization, which encourages students to donate time for church and local charitable events, and has taken leadership roles with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Army Teen Panel, the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, and the Fort McCoy Teen No-More Task Force, which provided first-of-its-kind education for youth on domestic abuse and sexual assault prevention.
 
"Growing up in a military family has motivated me to give back to others," Elissa wrote in her application essay. "My family, faith, and the many community service organizations I have observed and worked with, including Rotary, have guided and inspired me to give back to our nation and my community." Elissa plans to major in political science in college, with an interest in international relations, while also serving in the United States Marine Corps.
 
Club Member Rob Palmberg, who is one of Elissa's advisors for Rotary Interact at Aquinas, describes her as "efficient, detail-oriented, and extremely competent. ... She is a person of high character and integrity, as evidenced by her recently being named Chief Petty Officer for the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps, the highest rank a cadet can reach. She serves and impacts community in many profound ways!"
 
Elissa receives a $1,000 award to be used toward college expenses. This is the second year for the Club's Community Service Award, which is designed to recognize and encourage academic excellence, good citizenship and career development in youth. 
 
Our club received the New Generations Award at our Avenues of Service Award Dinner for this Community Service Award.
 
 
 
 
 
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