Paso Robles Rotary awards $121,550 in scholarships
Thirty students receive awards for higher education pursuits
Thirty students receive awards for higher education pursuits– The Paso Robles Rotary Club awarded $116,550 in scholarships to 29 graduating seniors from Paso Robles High School during the school’s 2026 Scholarship and Awards Night. The club also awarded a separate $5,000 scholarship to Sky Davis, bringing its total scholarship support this year to $121,550.
The club established the Harlow Ford Rotary Scholarship Fund in 2000 to provide financial assistance to local students pursuing higher education. In its first year, the program awarded $2,000 in scholarships. Twenty-six years later, the program has grown substantially.
This year’s scholarships ranged from $1,000 to $10,000 and will help students continue their education at colleges, universities, trade schools, and other post-secondary institutions.
Scholarship funding comes from proceeds generated by the Paso Robles Rotary Club’s annual Winemaker’s Cook-Off, which will be held Aug. 8 at the Paso Robles Event Center. Additional funding comes from local families and donors.
Among this year’s special recognitions was a contribution from the family of Colin Black in memory of his wife, who taught at Bauer Speck Elementary School during the 1980s. The contribution will continue to support local students through the scholarship program.
The club also established a new scholarship this year through a donation from the Johnston family in memory of Pete Johnston, a longtime Paso Robles Rotarian. A $1,000 scholarship was awarded in his name.
A committee of six Rotarians selected scholarship recipients based on academic achievement, community service, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and school activities.
“These scholarships represent more than financial assistance,” said Paso Robles Rotary President Dave Anderson and Scholarship Committee Chairman Dr. Patrick Sayne. “They are an investment in the next generation of leaders, innovators, educators, and community members who will shape the future of Paso Robles and beyond.”
Over the past 26 years, the Harlow Ford Rotary Scholarship Fund has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to local students.
Now in its 104th year, the Paso Robles Rotary Club continues to support educational opportunities for local students and community service initiatives.
