SWAMPSCOTT — The Rotary Club has recognized Madeleine Norwood and Nathan Siepel, two 8th grade students at Swampscott Middle School, with the Quest for Excellence award for their focus on serving the community and helping fellow students however they can.
“The Rotary Club is a big part of our community, and each year, the club and teachers take turns nominating students,” Matthew Moran, 8th grade math teacher, said. “Madeleine and Nathan really go out of their way to help others. They’re super nice kids and really great students.”
Moran continued, explaining that one of the biggest lessons the school works to instill in its students is to “do the right thing, even when nobody is watching.”
“These two kids consistently go out of their way to do the right thing, helping their classmates, and they make such a big effort for community service,” he said.
Moran noted that he brings students to help volunteer at My Brother’s Table in Lynn and Anchor Food Pantry in Swampscott.
“Madeline and Nathan sign up for everything,” Moran said. They’re involved in every community service opportunity. They’re just so committed to serving others and also are great role models. They’re the type of students that we had in mind when nominating for this award.”
Rotary Club member Doug Dubin also commented on the recognition, explaining some background on the award.
“We try to do the Quest for Excellence award once a month. We’ve been doing it for about 25 years, and we look for the type of students that want to help kids, be friends with others… For the students that will put in the extra mile into helping somebody or helping out in an after school program (or) anything like that,” Dubin said.
Dubin added that typically only one student is chosen for the award, but since the Rotary Club missed a month, they decided to double-down and have two be nominated by their teachers.
“Their teacher (Moran) came to a luncheon we had and told us about both students and what they accomplished, and things about them that are really excellent. You could tell how highly he talked of them,” Dubin said.
Rotary Treasurer Buck Weaver said, “They’re the kinds of kids you expect to be very successful in life because they tend to do the right thing whenever something happens.” He added that the two nominees “exemplify the Rotary Club’s ideals” of service and helping others.
