Ryan Wall, SHS Senior, Named First Youth Rotarian of the 2018-2019 School Year
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe August Youth Rotarian of the Month from SHS is Ryan Wall, SHS Senior-the son of Robert and Lori Wall of Seward. He was honored on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018 at the weekly noon luncheon meeting of the Seward Rotary Club held at the Jones National Bank and Trust Company Auditorium. Rotarian Matt Dominy, a member of the Youth Rotarian of the Month Committee, introduced Ryan and presented his qualifications and background that helped the committee select him for the award.
Ryan is one of the academic leaders at Seward High. He is involved with the High Ability Learner (HAL) program, and has a cumulative GPA of 4.0 with ACT subtest scores of 35 and 36 in his 11thgrade testing. He is in the 99thpercentile for the PSAT National Merit Semi-Finalist. He is on the SHS Honor Roll every semester and a leader with the SHS National Honor Society.
He has taken several Advanced Placement (AP) classes and received top scores on those tests as well as the duel credit with his AP Calculus class. During the summers of 2013 and 2014 he attended the Hastings College Scholars Academy and was the Duke University Scholarship winner in their Talent Identification program. During the summer of 2017 his was a participant of the National Youth Leadership Forum sponsored by George Mason University. He was All Conference for Academics in 2018.
His leadership also qualifies him to serve as an SHS Ambassador and was selected the Boys State Representative for SHS, sponsored by the Seward American Legion Post in 2018. He also was involved and recognized for his VFW Voice of Democracy Speeches during his high school career. He was recognized with the Youth Salute Outstanding Leader award and was first runner-up to serve as the Hugh O’Brian SHS representative.
Ryan is a captain and a member of the SHS Academic Decathlon team for 2019 and a longtime member and captain of the award winning SHS Quiz Bowl team.
In the Arts, Ryan is also a school leader at SHS. He has long been involved with the SHS One Act program, and was named Outstanding Actor at the NSAA District Contest, and the Theater representative for the Lincoln Elks Youth Day Award. He has been a member of the SHS Speech team, involved and recognized in the category of Impromptu Speaking, He was one of the awardees in the local “Poetry Out Loud” contest-named Second Place in 2017.
His leadership continued throughout high school, as he was appointed by the SHS Faculty to be the Student Council representative from 2013 to 2018.
Ryan is involved in a host of service groups at SHS, serving as an officer (Treasurer) of the SHS Key Club, and involved as an FBLAnational qualifier (Future Business Leaders of America), an active member and leader with the SHS FFAand a member of the Quiz Bowl State Championship and national qualifier for the SHS Skills USAvocational service club.
Ryan has been a leader in the musical Fine Arts Department at SHS during his high school career. He currently plays three instruments for the SHS Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band. He also is accomplished at the piano and is involved in two yearly piano recitals. He is a member of both the SHS Choir and Select Choir.
Ryan has been one of the academic leaders in the State Fair Competitions in the Education Division, with multiple finishes in the top five tests and won First Place in the Science test twice! He has been one of the top awardees in the Trimathalon at Doane University many times during his high school career and received many P.R.I.D.E. Awards from the SHS Faculty.
In 2015-2016 he received his Microsoft Certification in Excel, Power Point and Word.
His photography has been awarded top honors at the Seward County Fair and he was a SPARTAN RACE Finisher as well as involved with the Cornhusker State Games as a finisher in the Adventure Games twice and won First Place in the Cornhusker State Games Chess Competition twice.
Besides all of his involvement at school, Ryan is one of the longtime student employees at the Rivoli Theater in Seward.
His area of “Service Above Self” involves service to youth-serving as a long time mentor for “after school” and “summer” activities at the Seward Memorial Library such as the youth chess club at the Seward Memorial Library. He has worked with his numerous civic groups SHS Key Club, FFA, FBLA and Skills USA and their activities of service in the community-such as the annual UNICEF campaign, food drives and especially the annual Blood Mobile Drive-with many hours of service to assist others in need.
Ryan has not decided where he will attend college but has considered Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, and has not declared a major field of study at this time.
Ryan was presented with mementos from the Seward Rotary Club and a $50 book scholarship. He also is a finalist for the annual Youth Rotarian of the Year award and scholarship to be announced in May at the annual SHS Honors Night.
The Seward Rotary Club presents one Youth Rotarian Award to an SHS Senior each month from August to May, based on scholarship, leadership and citizenship, with an emphasis on “Service Above Self!” Students only need to apply once during the school year and applications can be obtained from Seward Rotarian Jill Johnson, Assistant Principal at SHS.