Claire McFarland of Potsdam was awarded the "Potsdam Rotary Scholarship Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S." at the Potsdam High School Senior Awards Night in June. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a Potsdam High School senior pursuing higher education who exemplifies the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self."
McFarland will be a first-year student in August at St. Lawrence University, where she plans to pursue a degree in biology. She is considering joining the Peace Corps after graduation and hopes to find a job working with plants or animals. "At some point, possibly after starting a family, I want to get my graduate degree and pursue more specialized careers, like becoming a plant geneticist person or cancer research," says McFarland.
Brookfield Renewable U.S. partners with more than 300 charities and community projects across the United States.
"Brookfield is pleased to be working with Potsdam Rotary in making this scholarship available to a student who shows so much promise, like Claire," says Brookfield Renewable U.S. Stakeholder Relations Manager Mark Luciano. "We believe that it is our responsibility to make investments like this in the youth of the communities where we live and work. Congratulations to Claire. We wish her much success in her future."
In addition to this Potsdam High School Scholarship, Potsdam Rotary sponsors a monthly Vocational Excellence Award for BOCES students as well as end-of -the-year awards to a student in each BOCES program.
"Potsdam Rotary is grateful to Brookfield Renewable U.S. for supporting this important scholarship," says Rotary President Duane Pelkey. "We look forward to partnering with them in the future and wish Claire a fulfilling college experience.
Brookfield Renewable operates one of the world’s largest publicly traded, renewable power platforms. Their portfolio consists of hydroelectric, wind, solar and storage facilities in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Brookfield operates 74 hydropower facilities in Upstate New York, employing hundreds of North-Country residents, providing access to 95 recreational areas, while contributing $24 million to the taxbase and investing over $18 million in capital projects annually.