Austin Van Velson Named September Youth Rotarian of the Month
Launch the media gallery 1 playerSHS Senior, Austin Van Velson has been selected as the September Seward Youth Rotarian of the Month. He is the son of Connie and Alan Van Velson of Seward. Austin was recognized at the recent Seward Rotary Club noon luncheon meeting at the new auditorium of Jones National Bank and Trust of Seward over the noon hour on Wednesday, September 2, 2014. He was introduced, honored for his service to others and record of accomplishment and presented with a Rotary Banner, mementos and a Rotary Book Scholarship.
Austin is a leader with many aspects of involvement at Seward High School. He has been involved with the Seward Cross Country team for all four years, along the SHS track team for four years. Austin is a leader and on the Executive Board for the local SHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and has won many awards in the FBLA state competitions-including championships in several FBLA competitive events winning first in Business Communication and second in Technology Concepts with FBLA. He is also a leader in the local Skills USA vocational education service group and placed first at state in the Skills USA Quiz Bowl contest, competing on the national level in both 2013 and 2014.
He is a four year member of the SHS Marching Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Pep Band and Jazz Band. Austin was also an award winning soloist at District Music Contest. He has been involved in the SHS Musical for three years and a member of the SHS Select Choir. He is a member and leader in the Seward High Student Council, as the official representative from the Seward Fourth of July Youth Committee. He has also been an SHS Student of the Month.
He has been a leader and captain of the award winning SHS Quiz Bowl team since his freshman years. Under his buzzer, the SHS team has won many titles and participated at the state level of competition several times, most recently winning the 2014 State Fair Quiz Bowl Contest in the State Fair Education Division. He also was named the State Fair Individual Sweepstakes Champion, winning and placing in more State Fair education competitions than any other participating student in 2014. He is always on the Honor Roll and involved in a series of mentoring programs.
Austin is a member of the SHS Varsity Speech team, often double entered in two events. He has been involved in the SHS One Act plays for all four years of high school, usually in the competition selected one act play. He was the District winner and regional finalist for the American Legion Oratorical contest and a finalist in the VFW Voice of Democracy Speech Contest.
He was recently awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in Seward Boy Scout troop 256. He has been involved in a series of national Boy Scout Camp programs over the years. He participated in Cornhusker Boys State and was one of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) participants last year. He is active in the Nebraska Civil Air Patrol and the recipient of the Civil Air Patrol Wright Brothers Award. He was a finalist for the HOBY award and participated in the Sophomore Pilgrim program, Poetry Outloud and the FBLA Speech Contest.
Austin is a member of the Seward Fourth of July Celebration Committee and was recently elected the Senior Youth Chairman for the Fourth of July Celebration in 2015. He is a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Seward and an active, involved voice for their youth program. He is a member of the Youth Bible Class, the St. John Godparent youth program and attended the National Youth Gathering representing St. John Youth. He also participated in several mission trips for St. John, most recently with the St. John mission trip to the bush village of Akiachak in southwest Alaska. Austin has served as a youth leader in the St. John VBS program for many years, most recently serving as an aid for children with special needs. He also served as a teacher / mentor in the St. John Summer Horizon’s Program.
He has been employed with Monsanto Company in the summer with field work and recently at Sam and Louis’s New York Pizzeria in Seward.
His “Service Above Self” efforts have been varied and many. Through Scouts, he has served the community in a variety of efforts –assisting and helping with food drives, park projects and various recycling efforts. He also, through his Eagle Scout community service requirement, restored the Images of Independence photo documentary collection of black and white framed photos of the 1981 Seward Fourth of July Celebration. He reframed the collection of 85 prints and built wooden storage units for the collection, when not on display. He also continues to volunteer at his church through their various outreach programs and mission trips, such as the Akiachak , Alaska mission effort.
Austin plans to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado and major in mechanical engineering in addition to the military and physical education, or attend the University of Nebraska to study mechanical engineering and participate in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC).
Austin will again be honored and recognized at the SHS Honors Night in the spring and the Rotary will announce the winner of the Rotary Service Above Self Award and Scholarship presented to one of the monthly Rotary Youth Rotarian of the Month awardees.