Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club is pleased to announce it has awarded four Sussex Central high school seniors a $2,000 Service Above Self Scholarship at their annual awards ceremony held on May 15, 2025 at the high school. Juliet Calixto Coconi, Vilmaris Rivera-Morales, Dulce Sontay-Pelico and Evelyn Velasquez-Velasquez were presented honorary certificates by Christine Tomalin, Youth Committee representative from Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club. Recipients can choose if their monetary award will be sent to the college they will be attending for tuition costs or used to defray expenses the student might incur for computers and books.
Students interested in winning the scholarship submitted their applications by May 1, 2025 and a committee from Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club reviewed them for merit. Factors contributing to selection included academic performance, financial need and an exhibition of community service to fit with Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self. Students who are members of the Sussex Central Interact Club were given special consideration.
“This is always a tough decision for us,” remarks Christine Tomalin, Long Neck Sunrise Rotarian managing the application and award process. “We had more qualified candidates than we could award but fortunately one of the students applying had received significant financial aid elsewhere. We are continually overwhelmed by how amazing these students are.”
Award winner Juliet Calixto Coconi is planning to pursue a degree in nursing, and will be attending The University of Delaware in the fall. In addition to maintaining an outstanding academic record, Juliet balanced a 30 hour/week part time job with clubs and associations throughout her four years, including serving as member of the Interact Club where she participated in beach grass planting and Mountaire’s Thanksgiving for Thousands Initiative. She also participated in Take2 Drama, and SCTV, the school’s news program.
Vilmaris Rivera-Morales plans to major in Finance at the University of Delaware. Vilmaris is the first to graduate high school in her family and has accomplished much over her four years. She was a member of Interact where she volunteered in Rise Against Hunger. She also has been an active volunteer with the Green Beret Project. She was a member of Upward Bound, the First State Community Action Center “Teens with Goals”, where she participated in trips and met each month an after school, and she volunteered as a tutor at The Arc Educational Resource Center at Laurel, DE.
Dulce Sontay-Pelico will be attending the University of Delaware studying Business Management and Marketing with a goal to start her own business in film production or food products. Already an accomplished film maker, Dulce has used her talents throughout her high school career to support her projects and assignment. Dulce has balanced a rigorous academic schedule in the International Baccalaureate Program, achieving honor roll status consistently. She served as president of the Interact Club her senior year where she led the group in supporting beach grass planting and Mountaire’s Thanksgiving for Thousands initiative. She served on Student Council, was secretary of the Science club, and was a mentor at Georgetown Elementary School in addition to teaching Sunday school and teaching a week-long bible course in Guatemala.
Evelyn Velasquez-Velasquez also plans to pursue a career in nursing and will attend the University of Delaware in the fall. Evelyn consistently achieved honor roll status while being team caption of the cross-country team, and achieving Academic All-Conference for her participation in cross country, soccer, and winter track and field. Academically, she was awarded by National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program, National Hispanic Recognition Program, and National First-Generation Recognition Program. She was also an active member of the Interact and Environmental and Science clubs.
Caption to photo at top:
Service Above Self $2000 Scholarship winners at the Awards Ceremony at Sussex Central High School on May 15, 2025 (left to right) Rotarian Christine Tomalin, Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club Youth Scholarship coordinator; Scholarship recipients Dulce Sontay-Pelico, Evelyn Velasquez-Velasquez, Vilmaris Rivera-Morales, and Juliet Calixto Coconi.