Local Rotary Club Honors Students Who Exhibit Perseverance and Leadership
September 9, 2026
By:
Cami Krema
From left to right: seniors Kaylin Gines from Mary Walker High School, Noah Brown from Deer Park High School, and Dean Todd of Riverside High School were selected as students of the month by their school ’s admin and were honored at the Rotary Club of Deer Park lunch Sept. 3. Photo courtesy Merrilee Schulz.
The Rotary Club of Deer Park announced September’s Students of the Month at their Sept. 3 lunch. Seniors Kaylin Gines from Mary Walker High School, Noah Brown from Deer Park High School, and Dean Todd of Riverside High School were all honored at the event and spoke about their high school experiences and plans post-graduation. Gines discussed how she strove to be both athletically and academically successful in her high school career, having maintained a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) while also participating on the school’s volleyball team.
She also serves as the school’s associated student body (ASB) president, the senior class president, and the Future Farmers of America president. After graduation, Gines said she plans to attend Minot State University in North Dakota, where she has committed to play for their volleyball squad. She said she plans on majoring in physical therapy.
Brown, who also serves as ASB president, spoke about how he enjoys being a positive presence for other students at Deer Park High School. He said his in- terest in leadership has grown over the years, and he particularly enjoys helping with extracurricular school events. Brown said he plans to take time off after graduation to travel and identified the East Coast and Europe as places he would like to visit. Thinking about his future career, Brown said he’s considering taking his leadership skills to a management role.
Todd, Riverside High School ASB president, shared that in his first year of high school, he suffered a stroke. He spoke about how he had to re- learn many skills and credited the high school’s staff with helping him succeed by providing accommodations for him. Despite that experience, Todd said he was able to maintain his 4.0 GPA and is in line to become valedictorian.
He said he plans to study neuroscience af- ter high school and wants to become a child psychiatrist to help other adoles- cents who go through similar experiences as he did. Todd’s dream school is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but he is also considering Purdue University in Indiana.