Cooperstown Rotary
Names Catherine Black
Scholarship recipient

The Cooperstown Rotary Foundation is pleased to announce that CCS graduate, Madison Hayes, is the recipient of the 2022 Catherine Black Scholarship. Madison was acknowledged at this year’s CCS Commencement Ceremony on June 26th and received the $1200 scholarship at the July 5th Rotary luncheon at The Otesaga. Madison along with her parents Tim and Lindsay Hayes were guests of the Foundation at the Rotary meeting and were joined by Madison’s grandfather, Rotarian Bill Hayes.

The scholarship was created in 2015 by the Foundation in memory of Catherine Black who was a founder and Charter Member of the local Rotary Club’s tax-deductible charity. Catherine was the first female president of the Cooperstown Club and went on to be one of the first female District Governors.

Because Catherine had a special interest in early childhood education and music, the scholarship criteria stipulate that the recipient should be planning to pursue a career in one of those areas, as well as having demonstrated the Rotary tenet of “Service Above Self” by volunteering and contributing to their community.

In bestowing the award, CRF Chair Ellen Tillapaugh noted that Madison certainly exemplifies the Rotary value of “Service Above Self.” She organized other students and together they volunteered monthly at the local Food Pantry. At CCS, Madison was the Community Service Liaison in her junior and senior years and also served as a CFES Mentor, assisting students on a weekly basis.

In a perfect fit for the scholarship criterion, Madison plans to attend Colgate University this fall to major in Early Childhood Education (birth-5 years old), with the goal of returning to the local area to teach.