Makenna McBride and Elizabeth Marble have been chosen as student members of the Rotary Club for November. They will represent the Chandler High School senior class at the service club’s weekly meetings.
Makenna is the daughter of Tim and Julia Mc-Bride. She is the youngest of four children.
She was an Oklahoma Girls State delegate and was elected president of her junior class.
She has demonstrated initiative by setting up a Halloween fundraiser for the past four years to raise money for the Chandler Soccer Club.
Makenna has given back to the community as a group leader at Camp Dakani in Oklahoma City as well as caring for foster children at the Methodist church.
In preparation for life after high school, she has taken advanced placement classes since her freshman year. She has taken concurrent classes at Rose State College in Midwest City, Okla., and the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Following graduation, she plans to study forensic psychology at UCO.
Makenna says that she learned the satisfaction of putting service above self while a volunteer at a weekend camp for Make Promises Happen, a program which provides outdoor recreational opportunities to individuals with special needs.
She was assigned to a girl with Down syndrome to help and encourage her to participate in the activities and interact with the other campers.
Although already badly sunburned, Makenna put her own comfort and needs aside to take her new friend out on the lake in a paddleboat.
Throughout the weekend, the normally shy young girl who held back for fear of drawing attention to herself, laughed and showed her enjoyment in the activities no matter who was around.
Makenna said the most rewarding part was when her camper hugged her and said how much she would miss her and when the girl’s mother told her that she appreciated her very much.
Elizabeth is the daughter of Stacy Marble and Patrick Marble and has a 15-year-old sibling.
She served as librarian for the band and was a flute section leader. She was a member of Student Council and named class secretary.
She is a member of National Honor Society, captain of the CHS Academic Team, and assistant coach of the Junior High Academic Team.
She has demonstrated and improved her leadership abilities by attending both the Business Professionals of America and the Family Career and Community Leaders of America leadership conferences.
Elizabeth has attended Rotary Youth Leadership Awards as a camper and as a trailblazer. She was chosen as a delegate to Oklahoma Girl’s State, where she was a member of the House of Representatives, City Secretary and on the City Election Board.
She has volunteered her time in Red Cross Blood Drives, Stamp Out Starvation, Postponing Sexual Involvement Girl Power, and Oklahoma Special Olympics.
To prepare for life after high school, Elizabeth studies to maintain good grades and good scores on the ACT and advanced placement exams. She is involved in organizations to gain leadership experience and to become involved in the community.
Elizabeth plans to attend Oklahoma Christian University after graduation to pursue a career in Social Studies Education.
She was initially interested in getting involved in the Make Promises Happen camp to find out if she wanted to be a special education teacher. Thinking it would be a sacrifice to put others before herself, she found that it was a rewarding experience.
During Culinary Camp over spring break and a weeklong summer camp, Elizabeth found that seeing the excitement of the campers learning how to make a pie or pretzels, going swimming, and observing the wonders of nature was no sacrifice at all.
What impressed her most was the joy on the campers’ faces when they accomplished something they previously didn’t think they could do. She found that helping others in turn helped her to grow and become a better servant leader. She looks forward to opportunities to do it again.