Approximately 81 Three Rivers High School seniors were recognized Thursday, May 1 by the Three Rivers Rotary Club during the 67th annual Rotary Honors Night at the TRHS Performing Arts Center, receiving awards, scholarships, and recognitions.
Three Rivers High School seniors Hannah Colburn (left) and Tre Rohrer (right) were named the Most Representative Seniors of the Class of 2025 during Thursday, May 1’s Rotary Honors Night.
By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — An annual celebration of local graduating seniors by a local service club took place last week.
On Thursday, May 1, the Three Rivers Rotary held its annual Rotary Honors Night ceremony at the Three Rivers High School’s Performing Arts Center, the 67th time it has been held. The night celebrates students for their accomplishments, both academically and athletically, during the year, while also awarding college scholarships.
A total of 81 seniors in the TRHS Class of 2025 were recognized during the ceremony, receiving department awards, getting scholarships, and/or being recognized for their academic or athletic achievements.
“Tonight, we gather to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our graduating seniors. This is a moment to honor your dedication, perseverance, and growth during your time at Three Rivers High School,” Three Rivers High School Principal Carrie Balk said. “Each of you has reached this milestone through hard work, curiosity, and a commitment to becoming your best self. We could not be prouder of who you are today or more hopeful about who you will become tomorrow. You leave behind a legacy that will inspire future Wildcats, and we know you’re ready to go out and make a meaningful impact in your next chapter.”
Three Rivers Rotary President Garrett Hall, in his address to those in attendance, highlighted the “longstanding tradition” of the event, as well as its partnerships over the years related to it.
“The Three Rivers Rotary Club is even more proud of the collaboration over these years with the Three Rivers Area Community Foundation, families and individual benefactors in our community, and generous companies and organizations that are now such a sizable part of this night,” Hall said.
Following the recognition of the class officers, one of the most prestigious awards was given out, that being the Most Representative Senior awards. The awards are given to the students who are most respected by their peers, teachers and administrators, and demonstrate respect, responsibility, resilience and leadership during their time at TRHS. This year’s Most Representative Senior awards went to Tre Rohrer and Hannah Colburn.
“Our high school staff has done a fantastic job of selecting the two students that do represent the class for various reasons, and I think they were spot-on again this year,” Balk said in an interview following the ceremony. “They’re off to amazing things, and it’s always great when they have plans for their post-secondary education when they come into high school, and they sort of lock in, and follow what those plans are.”
Rohrer, who will be attending the University of Michigan this fall to study biology, said it was “pretty good” to be named as one of the Most Representative Seniors, and that he didn’t expect it to happen.
“It’s a nice thing to have,” Rohrer said. “It’s a nice surprise.”
Colburn, who in the fall will be attending Olivet Nazarene University to study ministerial missions, said she was “proud” to be one of the Most Representative Seniors.
“I love my class, I love working with them, serving with them, and just being a part of them,” Colburn said.
The Principal’s Award, which honors the two students at the high school who possess “strength of character, promote citizenship and show a positive attitude towards classmates, school and community,” went to Rebecca Wallman and Peter Starrett.
After that, the night continued with department awards, the recognition of foreign exchange students, honor graduates, academic award winners, NHS members, and scholarship recipients. The complete list of award winners is at the end of this article.
Jeffrey Middleton, the chair of the Rotary Honors Night committee for the Three Rivers Rotary, said in his address to the students that high school seniors like them are one of the biggest exports of the city, and if they do leave the city for good, to always remember where they grew up as they live their lives.
“You come from this little town, and you probably think, ‘I can’t wait to get out of here.’ But here’s the secret: what we make in our little town is high school seniors. That’s our premier product,” Middleton said. “Every year, we have the best and brightest of our kids in this program, and they go out into the world coming from Three Rivers, Michigan. At some point, you will be proud to say that. … Wherever you do go, remember this town, and maybe you’ll be a Rotarian, or Girl Scout leader, or a soccer coach or a basketball coach or a choir member in your church, or someone that volunteers at the homeless mission. You’ll have a career, but you’ll also have a community. Right now, this is your community, and we’re all very proud of you.”
Overall, Balk said following the ceremony that the seniors recognized were an “outstanding” group.
“Every student that walks up here has a story, and that’s one of the things I love about this job, is that I know their stories,” Balk said. “While we might see them on stage for a couple seconds accepting an award or scholarship, the story behind it I think is most meaningful.”
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
