Elijah Hackbart Youth Rotarian of the Year for 2018 Based on “Service Above Self!”

May 09, 2018

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Elijah Hackbart was selected the Youth Rotarian of the Year for 2017-2018. He is the son of Daryl and Susan Hackbart.  The award was announced and he was recognized honored at the SHS Honors Night on May 8 in the new Theater.  He will also be honored at a future Seward Rotary Club meeting.  He received a framed certificate and a scholarship for $300 with the award.  All of the ten finalists were also recognized and received “book” scholarships and framed, signed certificates of honor.  

The award is based first of all on the Rotary Motto-“Service Above Self!”  Indeed Elijah exemplifies this through his work at his church-Hillcrest Evangelical Free-being involved in almost every service project and also participating in six mission trips throughout his high school career. This is above and beyond all of the service activities he has participated in through his high school activities as well. He was even a loyal volunteer with the Seward Rotary Club Holiday “Stuff the Cruiser” toy drive and distribution.

Elijah is a student athlete. He is very involved in the SHS athletic programs, including the SHS Basketball program, Varsity SHS Cross Country and Varsity SHS Soccer.  He has been one of the senior leaders in both Cross Country and Soccer and garnered various awards and recognition for his efforts.

Elijah has been a member of the SHS Honor Roll and he has participated various mentoring programs and continues to serve as a student mentor.

He is a member of the SHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and works towards their various leadership goals and projects.  He is also a leader and involved in the local, awarding winning SHS FFA program and one of the Senior Standouts in the local Skills USA Chapter at SHS, participating in Job Description and the Opening and Closing Ceremony team (OCC) for Skills USA.

Elijah plans to attend Southeast Community College in Lincoln in their Degree Transfer program and then hopes to attend the University of Nebraska and eventually become a Woods/Building Construction/Building and Trades Vocational Education teacher.

Youth Rotarians of the Month for 2017-2018 included Thomas Bosmeniel, Evan Nottingham, Greta Hughes, Lena Hughes, Alysa Biggs, Broc LaVelle, Kelsie Zadina, Jenna Williams and Makenna Perdue and of course the Youth Rotarian of the Year-Elijah Hackbart. 

Local Rotarian Clark Kolterman served as the local contact and project chair for the Youth Rotarian program for the local Seward Rotary Club and Seward High.

Special thanks to the local Rotarians supporting/sponsoring the individual Book Scholarships-and they included Marla Johnson, Scott Bruick, Roger Glawatz, Brian Friedrich, Jonathan Metschke-Metschke Counseling Center, John Owens, Dan Griener-Blue River Jewelry, Max Wake, Sue Tonniges, Annette Wallman, Clark Kolterman, Shelly Nitz.