Rotary’s Citizen of the Month Honorees (l to r) Ryan Philbrook, Tristan Cormier, Jack Buelar, Kyan MacDonald, Alecssander Freitas, Sydney Mushrow, Olivia Pearson, Emily Rock, and Rotary Club President Aaron Hagan. COM Elizabeth O’Leary was absent.

BRIDGTON — On Friday, May 19, the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club honored 9 Citizens of the Month (COM) from Lake Region High School (LRHS) at a celebratory breakfast at the Bridgton Community Center. Each senior COM received a certificate, a gift card, and information about Rotary. Accompanied by parents and guardians, the eight who were able to attend, each spoke briefly and enjoyed a delicious meal.

The Citizen of the Month award is presented to high school seniors who have provided service in the community reflective of Rotary’s Motto: ‘Service Above Self’.

President Aaron Hagan introduced each student and presented the awards. Several of the COMs had participated in Dirigo State, a week-long program offered by the American Legion to teach high school students how our state government works and to give them experience in debating issues, running for office, and setting up a model government.

September COM: Elizabeth O’Leary (S. Casco)

Elizabeth moved here from Massachusetts in her freshman year. She is interested in psychology and has taken dual-enrollment college courses in psychology. She is considering a career as a guidance counselor, a social worker, or a forensic psychologist. Elizabeth also enjoys writing poetry.

October COM: Emily Rock (Bridgton)

Emily enjoys sports and has been captain of her soccer and softball teams. She has volunteered at the Bridgton Rec Summer Camp and is the head coach of the 3rd/4th-grade girls’ soccer team. This experience has helped her learn how to teach children, a skill she will put to good use when she becomes either a teacher or a coach. She also has had hands-on experience in governance. She was part of the LRHS DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) committee and was voted into the Senate in her week at Dirigo State.

November COM: Kyan Macdonald (Bridgton)

Kyan has demonstrated a real commitment to making positive changes in his community. With the help of his parents, he founded Team Kyan, a nonprofit that financially supports those impacted by childhood cancer. He also helped create the Student Summit at LRHS as a means for students to have their voices heard. Finally, Kyan was a delegate at Dirigo State and got first-hand experience with the process of government.

December COM: Sydney Mushrow (Bridgton)

Sydney is active in concert band, jazz band, choir, and theater. She enjoys helping younger kids and volunteers in the Stevens Brook Library, and before COVID, at the Bridgton Public Library. She plans to study business management and fashion design in preparation for opening her own bridal shop. She wants to help every bride find her dream dress.

January COM: Jack Bueler (Bridgton)

Jack comes from a big family of 8 children. He volunteers at the Bridgton Rec Program, coaching basketball and helping with Halloween festivities. He hopes to become a therapist so he can help people work through their problems.

February COM: Ryan Philbrook (Bridgton)

Ryan volunteers at the Magic Lantern Innovation Lab and Learning Center, helping kids with their projects. He plans to earn a master’s degree in automotive engineering and work for a large automotive company.

March COM: Tristan Cormier (Bridgton)

Tristan is active in cross-country, and track and field. He has been active in Boy Scouts and recently became a Scout Master. He participated in Dirigo State along with other COMs.

April COM: Olivia Pearson (Bridgton)

Olivia enjoys sports. She is captain of the volleyball team and has received two Laker Pride awards. During the summer, she volunteers and works as a lifeguard. Olivia wants to study marine biology and business in college.

May COM: Alecssander Freitas (Naples)

Alecssander is the senior class leader of the Law Enforcement Program at LRVC. He was a delegate in the 2022 session of the American Legion Dirigo State and went on to represent Maine at the 2022 Boys’ Nation Senate in Washington, DC. This experience inspired him to become a serious student of government and the political process. Alecssander hopes to become a U.S. senator so that he can work to improve our country.

For more information about Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club, visit its webpage: https://lakeregionrotary.com or its Facebook Page. For specific questions, contact President Hagan at Lakeregionrotary@gmail.com.