McKenney honored
as Rotary Spirit Student of the Year
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD — Eighteen-year-old Melissa McKenney, who graduated June 3 from Fort Fairfield High School, will forever be known as the Fort Fairfield Rotary Club’s first-ever Rotary Spirit Student of the Year. The honor was bestowed on McKenney May 29 at the school’s honors night.
MELISSA McKENNEY was honored recently as the Fort Fairfield Rotary Club’s first-ever Rotary Spirit Student of the Year. 
Pictured are period award winners, from left, front row: Elizabeth Day, Megan Jellison, Desiraie Rediker, McKenney, Joshua Wortman and Stephanie Beaulieu, Rotary president. Back row: Tracy Copeland, Spirit Award Committee chair; Matthew Theriault, Brandon Clark and Caleb Daigle.
“I was pretty shocked,” she said. “I was up there with everyone and they called my name and I was like, ‘Wow!’ It was nice surprise at Honors Night to get that.”
During the school year, high school faculty and staff nominated multiple students during the designated time frames of September/October, November/December, January/February and March/April. One girl and one boy were chosen from among the nominees by the Rotary Spirit Student Award Committee.
At a recent committee meeting, the Rotary Spirit Student of the Year was selected from the eight period award recipients.
The Rotary Spirit Student Award program promotes success in and out of the classroom.
“For a student to be a well-respected citizen, they must be able to balance many different life areas. They must exemplify outstanding characteristics both as a student and as a community citizen,” said Stephanie Beaulieu, president of the Rotary Club. “The student must be able to handle many different student life aspects while maintaining excellence in the classroom. This award is designed to nominate and select students, across grades 9 through 12, who promote and take pride in Fort Fairfield High School, the town of Fort Fairfield, and in themselves.
“We felt Melissa was the best overall where she had excellent academic success, excellent community involvement, and great community service,” she said.
Academically, McKenney was home-schooled up until her junior year of high school. When she came to public school, she was on the honor roll her junior and senior year.
“For community involvement, she has been one of the highest fund raisers in the Carl Robert Dream Foundation, and for community involvement, she also mentors young individuals,” said Beaulieu. “She’s a positive role model for young people. Melissa’s a nice addition to have to the community. Wherever she takes off to, they’re going to inherit a positive citizen.”
In addition, McKenney has worked for the last four years as an assistant coach of peewee soccer and Hershey track and field for the Fort Fairfield Recreation Department.
“For community service, I volunteered at a ranch camp in Nebraska, which is where my Mom’s family is. We go out there and visit in the summer and I volunteered there last year,” said McKenney. “It was really hot in Nebraska, but it was lots of fun. It’s a Christian camp and they have horses and it gives kids a ranch feel in the Midwest.”
As the Rotary Spirit Student of the Year, McKenney received a $300 cash award. Additionally, her name will be engraved on a perpetual plaque to be displayed in the school’s lobby and her photo will be displayed on the plaque during the next school year.
“I was very surprised and pleasantly happy — more appreciative than anything — because every bit toward college helps especially in today’s economy,” she said, noting that the money will be used to purchase a college textbook. “I’m very thankful.”
McKenney plans to take her core liberal arts classes at Eastern Maine Community College in the fall and will then transfer to the University of Maine at Orono where she will double major in English and biology.
“Then I want to go onto medical school and become a medical journalist,” she said.
Beaulieu said the Rotary Club will sponsor the program again next year.
“The Rotary Club is all about community involvement, and it starts with young leaders in the community,” she said, noting that the program would not have been half as successful had the faculty and staff at Fort Fairfield High School not nominated students that were deserving of the award. “Without them, this would not have happened.
“For us to do this project is letting the young leaders know that there are civic organizations out there that care about the youth, that want them to be good leaders, and that want them to stay in the community,” Beaulieu said. “It’s important to recognize these individuals. We may even have some future Rotarians.”
McKenney said she would one day like to join the Rotary Club.
“They have done a lot of great things in our community. I remember a couple summers ago they did fundraisers to purchase helmets and kids in town got bicycle helmets. They’re always including kids in the community, which I love,” she said, “so I’d like to some day become a Rotarian.
“I’m glad the Rotarians are going to continue this program because this award isn’t just solely based on academics. Students at school are usually recognized for their athletic abilities or academics, and the kids who are trying to make a positive difference — who may not fall into one of those other categories — don’t get recognized,” said McKenney. “This is a nice way for students to be honored and to know that their work isn’t going unnoticed.”
McKenney is the daughter of Mitzi and Dan McKenney.
