Roseanna Hale

Roseanna Hale is on her way to major in speech pathology at Marshall University with the boost from a $2,000 scholarship awarded today by Putnam Rotary.

Hale, the daughter of Phyllis Hale, is a 2008 graduate of Hurricane High School where she was a member of the track and soccer teams.

She wants to dedicate her life to work with foster care homes and families. Hale herself was a foster child who had been adopted at age five.

A Hurricane school official said Roseanna demonstrated a “desire for knowledge simply for the sake of knowing.”

Hale's essay on the Rotarian "Four-Way Test" linked her personal philosophy to extensive community service and a job at Applebee's restaurant in Teays Valley.

Hale is the second student to receive an award under the new scholarship program set in place by the local club last year.

"This award is intended for persons who do not qualify for aid, and those who are unable to compete for traditional grants and student loans," said Bonnie M. Prisk, chair for the Rotary group which set the guidelines for the new scholarship.

Prisk is director of the Teays Valley Regional Center for Marshall University, and serves on the Education Committee of the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce.

While there may be some questions as to eligibility, the new scholarship has been designed along the lines followed for several years by a private assistance grant given by Rotarian Laberta Salamacha.

"Identification of eligible persons would not be a problem," she said.

The recipient of the scholarship cannot be a Rotarian or a member of the family of a Rotary member. They also must be a resident of the Putnam area and plan to attend a school in West Virginia.