Wallace State’s Rotaract Club gaining popularity as organization serves campus and community
HANCEVILLE, Ala. – One of the newest organizations on Wallace State’s campus has evolved into one of the most active.
Wallace State’s Rotaract Club recently capped a busy spring semester by supporting Spirit Night at the Cullman Chick-fil-A by honoring and raising money for the Saving Forgotten Warriors of Cullman County.
“The Rotaract Club is a service organization and community service is our top priority. We are thankful to have a great relationship with the Rotary Club in Cullman, and each student has the opportunity to choose a mentor to learn from,” said Paul Knetter, the Rotaract Club’s Student President.
During the fall and spring semesters, the Rotaract Club meets once every two weeks and plans the meetings around the members’ class schedules, providing flexibility for those interested.
Knetter learned about the Rotaract Club in one of instructor Terri McGriff Waldrop’s business classes and decided it was a good opportunity for him.
“I joined because I wanted to build networks across campus and the community. I’m always looking for ways to stay involved on campus,” said Knetter, who’s also a member of Wallace State’s state champion Quiz Bowl team.
The Rotaract Club is open to all Wallace State students and membership in the organization has more than doubled since the end of the fall semester, according to Knetter, rising from approximately 10 students to 24 members.
“I think students are interested because we’re proactive on campus, and we’ve always got something going on. We have great support from the faculty, and we have a good mixture of students from all across campus. We have some tennis players in the club, business education students and general studies students,” said Knetter, a freshman from Springville.
The main motto for Wallace State’s Rotaract Club is “Service before Self,” and the organization has indeed served its community over the last few months.
One of the main events the group participated in was the 44th annual Cullman Rotary Club Auction in March. The Rotaract Club raised funds to help benefit local charities, projects and other community happenings.
Additionally, Wallace State’s Rotaract Club was represented at the Innovate Huntsville event earlier this year, a workshop celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation across the area.
Other community events conducted by the Rotaract Club this semester include reading to students at Cullman Primary School, hosting blood drives on campus and in the community and participating in Hanceville High’s “Keeping it Real,” program where the group assisted high school students with properly managing budgets, bills and expenses.
The Chick-fil-A Spirit Night fundraiser was spearheaded by the Rotaract Club after the members met veterans on campus and sought ways to assist their needs.
The Rotaract Club also ate lunch with Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics a couple of weeks ago, discussing the group’s progress, their individual goals in life and their overall college experience in Hanceville.
“The students in our Rotaract Club are truly an inspiration to me. It’s an amazing collection of students and they come from different curriculums and interests. I think the group is grown because it’s open to students of all interests,” said Terri McGriff-Waldrop, the faculty sponsor. “These students guide themselves and make me and the college proud. They have true leadership skills, they put their community first and they have an amazing work ethic. I’m proud of the way they represent Wallace State.”
Freshman Challie Johnson is in charge of the club’s social gatherings and social media postings.
“I think students are interested in our group because we plan a lot of community events and try to meet business and community leaders. It’s allowed us to make great connections across the area and that might help some of us get a job later down the line,” Johnson said. “This organization is for anyone who is looking to serve others. It’s great to be a part of.”
Current student members are Knetter, Johnson, Amanda Kelly, Brittany Suhy, Caleb Clay, Chester Freeman, Clarence Roberts, Donald Goodwin, Donny Camp, Jordan Van Gundy, Laura Richards, Luke Tucker, Jasmine Zavala, Hunter Manley, Nancy Nevarez, Nathan Haynes, Norma De Aguinaga Garcia, Nicholas Parrott, Riley Voce, Rachel Stowe, Samuel Robles, Sarah Bors, Valarie Yarbrough and Toddric Stallworth.
Four of the club members are on Wallace State’s men’s tennis team, which won the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) title this spring, and Parrott and Voce were Wallace State’s representatives on the Alabama Community College System’s All-Alabama Academic Team.
If you are interested in learning more about the Wallace State Rotaract Club, you are encouraged to contact 256.352.8072 or email terri.waldrop@wallacestate.edu.
For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.
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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8443 direct
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu
Kristen Holmes
Communications & Marketing Director, and
Administrator, The Evelyn Burrow Museum
Wallace State Community College
801 Main Street NW | Hanceville, AL 35077
E-mail: kristen.holmes@wallacestate.edu
Office: 256.352.8118 | Cell: 256.339.2519 | Toll Free: 866.350.9722