SHS Senior, Caleb Meyer of Seward is the Seward Rotary Club’s Youth Rotarian of the Year. He is the son of Rev. Michael and Stacey Meyer.  He was recognized and honored at the weekly Rotary Club’s noon luncheon meeting. Dr. Matt Dominy, Rotarian Youth Co-Chair, announced the award at the annual SHS Honors Night on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.  Caleb was presented with a Rotary Club scholarship for books next year and is now the winner of the scholarship for the Seward Rotary Club’s annual Youth Rotarian of the Year, donated by the Seward Rotary Club.

The primary emphasis for the Youth Rotarian is based on the Seward Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” and Caleb has exemplified volunteerism throughout his high school career! His volunteer, “Service Above Self” efforts have been varied and extensive.  He is a very loyal volunteer for Rotary at the local Seward Recycling Center, the FFA Living History Museum, the Softball Concession stand, many church cleaning activities, numerous church garage sales and many, many Vacation Bible School helper assignments and mission efforts.  He has been a very loyal volunteer for the annual Seward Rotary Club “Stuff the Cruiser” toy distribution day at the Civic Center all four years of his high school career and often assisted the local Rotary with their quarterly efforts at the local recycling center.

Seward Rotary Youth Rotarians for 2018-2019 included Kiernan Baker, Joseph Krause, Kayla Luebbe, Rebekah Klenke, Carson Core, Ryan Wall, Sarah Bujarski, Bryson Janousek, Jax O Johnson and Caleb Meyer.  Rotarians who donated to the annual Youth Rotarian Book Scholarship fund included Greg Zabka, John Owens, Rick Grey, Melanie Ayeres, Roger Glawatz, Dr. Brian Friedrich, Dr. Ron Wallman,  Annette Wallman, Marla Johnson, Dr. Matt Dominy, Shelly Nitz, Todd LaVelle, and Clark A. Kolterman. 

The Seward Youth Rotarian of the Year, Caleb Meyer,  is an SHS scholar/athlete.  He has been on the SHS Honor Roll all twelve consecutive terms, with A’s in all classes eight consecutive terms and holds a 4.0 grade point average, with an A grade in two Advanced Placement (AP) classes.  He is considered one of the leaders in the local, SHS National Honor Society.

He has been involved in SHS Football and Basketball but really concentrates on SHS Baseball as his “sport!”  He was a member of the SHS Junior Varsity in Baseball for two years and now Varsity Baseball for SHS the last two years, and honored to be a member of the SHS Varsity team that was a state qualifier this year.  He also has been very involved in the Fall Leagues for high school baseball.

 He participated in the SHS Quiz Bowl team, and competed in the local, SHS Poetry Out Loud poetry recitation contest. He also participated in various contests associated with the Nebraska State Fair Education Division.

He has been in Mixed Choir for three years and is a member of the 2017 Show Choir/SHS Swing Choir.

He has been in the FFA for all four years of High School and is an active and loyal member of the club. He participated in FFA District events in 2017 and won the FFA Districts in Floriculture and was an FFA State Qualifier in Floriculture Competition in 2018.  

He is a loyal member of the Rock Lutheran Church in Seward and a voice of their youth program.  His is a member of their Godparents program and attended the 2016 National Youth Gathering and is planning to attend one this year as well.

Caleb has been involved with employment with field work over the years, and a longtime employee with Syngenta Seeds in Goehner, Nebraska, where he captured pollen found on the tassels of corn and carefully poured pollen onto silked ear shoots, in a variety of heat and “harsh” weather-six to seven days a week the month of June and July. He eventually was promoted and is currently an Assistant Crew Leader.  

He plans to attend Wayne State College and is interested in either Pre-Professional Finance or Pre-Medicine but has not decided on a Major as of yet.  

Seward Rotary Youth Rotarians included Kiernan Baker, Joseph Krause, Kayla Luebbe, Rebekah Klenke, Carson Core, Ryan Wall, Sarah Bujarski, Bryson Janousek, Jax O Johnson and Caleb Meyer. Rotarians who donated to the annual Youth Rotarian Book Scholarship fund included Greg Zabka, John Owens, Rick Grey, Melanie Ayeres, Roger Glawatz, Dr. Brian Friedrich, Dr. Ron Wallman, Annette Wallman, Marla Johnson, Dr. Matt Dominy, Shelly Nitz, Todd LaVelle, Clark A. Kolterman. 

The Seward Rotary Club honored one Seward High Senior every month that school is in session for the 2018-2019 school year, honoring ten local high school seniors, naming them the Seward Youth Rotarian of the Month and eventually a Youth Rotarian of the Year. The award is based on character, scholarship, integrity and an emphasis is placed on volunteerism-which is the Rotary motto-“Service Above Self!”  Applications were available at the local, Seward High Counselor’s office and the students each were required to make a formal application, complete with resume. All of the Youth Rotarians of the Month were recognized at the annual SHS Honors Night in May, and each Youth Rotarian received a book scholarship from the Rotary Club.  

SHS Senior, Joseph Krause was named the May Youth Rotarian of the Month. He is the son of Jon and Jennifer Krause of Seward.  He was honored and recognized at the May 1 Seward Rotary Club luncheon meeting at the Jones Bank in Seward.  Fellowship and a brief business meeting preceded the introduction of Joseph. Joseph was introduced by Rotarian Matt Dominy and presented with mementos of Rotary, a Seward Rotary Club banner and a Rotary Club “Book Scholarship!”

Joseph is a scholar/athlete and a member and leader of the SHS National Honor Society, and has been on the SHS Honor Roll every semester of attendance.  His GPA is 3.98 and was named an Academic All-State for athletics all four years!

In the area of athletics, he has an outstanding list of accomplishments.  In the area of football, Joseph hold three state records and seven school records over his four years of participation.  He played four years on the SHS Basketball Team, three years on the SHS Varsity Program, as well as four years with the SHS Baseball program with special honors and tributes in every sport!  He is one of the very few to play three sports all four years of high school!  

Joseph was named First Team Super State-Omaha World Herald and First Team All-State-Lincoln Journal Star. His football state records include-Total yards in a career, total yards in a season and passing yards in a season. Locally his records in football include career yards total, passing, passing touchdowns in a season and career. 

He is a member and longtime leader in the local Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) currently serving as the local FBLA Chapter Vice President.  He participated in the local Seward VFW Voice of Democracy Speech contest and several activities involving the Education Division of the Nebraska State Fair.   

Joseph is an active member of St. John Lutheran Church in Seward and a loyal member of the St. John Godparent program all four years.  He is a voice of youth at St. John Lutheran Church.  He served as one of the official youth delegates to the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans.

In the summers Joseph is involved in Rouging with Eber Rouging-working in the area fields, and serves as a lifeguard at Seward’s Dowding Memorial Pool.

His volunteer efforts to fulfill the “Service Above Self” requirement is in his volunteer efforts working with younger athletes, serving as a coach for the 5^th-6^thGrade Rec Basketball program for two years and as a volunteer all four years for the area youth camps for football and basketball.  He also serves as a Junior Jay Mentor at Seward Elementary.

He has full football scholarship to Northwest Missouri State University with a goal to obtain a degree and profession in the area of business or finance.  

He was the final Youth Rotarian of the Month for 2018-2019 and all ten will be honored at the approaching SHS Senior Honors Night in May, when the Youth Rotarian of the Year is announced.  Each of the ten Youth Rotarians will be given a book scholarship, donated by local Seward Rotarians to the SHS Seniors.  

Click on the link below to access the district newsletter.  It is an adobe .pdf file.

SPS District Newsletter - May, 2019