Fluke and Rotary Club scholarship supports a young woman in STEM

The Rotary Club is an international humanitarian organization. The Rotary Club of Everett, Washington was chartered more than a hundred years ago in 1917. Aimed at connecting people, transforming communities, and funding sustainable projects, the Rotary Club of Everett has found a need to support young students in the community with the resources they need to meet the challenges of our times.

Historically, the Rotary Club of Everett has given more than $5,000,000 in scholarships to help support community students. Anna Marie Laurence, the Chair of the Scholarship Committee of the Rotary Club of Everett, shared more about their scholarship programs, explaining that recent proceeds went to students from Everett schools, including Everett High School, Sequoia High School, Cascade High School, and Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center.

The Club believes it will take the whole community to support the next generation of students and Fluke agrees and shares the same ideals of community and education with the Rotary Club. This has led to Fluke’s recent sponsorship for community scholarships. As a strong advocate of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Fluke has made it a priority to help support students who are interested in pursuing these areas in their education.

“It’s important to encourage students in this field [STEM]. And also, to have more women in this field, frankly. I really appreciate [Fluke] filling that need, that gap,” says Anna Marie Laurence, Chair of the Scholarship Committee of the Rotary Club of Everett.

One student, Annicka Pollack of Everett High School, was the proud recipient of a Rotary Club Scholarship funded by Fluke. Annicka’s counselors saw that she displayed academic excellence, leadership skills, and had a deep motivation to pursue a career in STEM. Annicka’s motivation to focus on STEM was solidified in her 9th and 10th-grade years when her chemistry teachers inspired her to consider science from a different, more enjoyable perspective. Seeing how important it is to connect with aspiring STEM professionals outside of school, Annicka believes now more than ever that more young women must go after their dreams in STEM.

“There’s an ongoing disparity of women to men in that field. Getting more women into those careers allows alternative perspectives and gives voices to those that don’t necessarily have one,” shares Annicka Pollack, 2022 recipient of the Rotary Club Scholarship.

With the help of the Rotary Club of Everett and Fluke, Annicka will be pursuing a pharmacy degree at Western Washington University.