Wesley Skidmore. Courtesy photo
Wesley Skidmore, a junior at Los Alamos High School (LAHS), was recently honored as Rotary Student of the Month. Skidmore is the son of Wendy and Cary Skidmore and the brother of Bradley, Gregory, Jeffrey and Stephanie.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos selects one student each month of the school year to honor as a Student of the Month. This year’s recipients reflect a combination of both LAHS seniors and juniors; next year, only juniors will be recognized in hopes of inspiring their interest in Rotary programs that fall during the summer following junior year.
Students are nominated by their teachers and chosen on the basis of their academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, and, in particular, their service to the community.
Skidmore, who maintains an excellent GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society. He is also active in Boy Scouts of America, Venture Crew 422, and attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 2010 by designing, preparing, and completing a project to remove a chain-link fence lining the property boundary between the LDS church in White Rock and the Piñon Trails housing development.
This was followed by landscaping that included removing weeds, branches, wood, and scrap metal. Skidmore has also helped other scouts work on their Eagle Scout projects, and he served as the Varsity Team co-captain for his scout troop during the 2011-12 school year.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, White Rock Ward, Skidmore has served since 2012 on the Stake Youth Council, which is responsible for planning and implementing activities for northern New Mexico youth. He also serves as the “First Assistant to the Bishop,” with responsibilities that include the sacrament service each Sunday and serving as the primary peer leader for young men, ages 16-18. Skidmore has also served as the “Teacher’s Quorum First Counselor and Secretary.”
As a well-rounded student, Skidmore has also found time in his schedule for high school football and club lacrosse. He has been an assistant athletic trainer at LAHS since 2012. As a well-rounded individual, Skidmore has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, and he has routinely shoveled snowy driveways and sidewalks for two neighborhood families for the last three years.
Skidmorewas joined at the Rotary awards ceremony by his parents and selected LAHS Coach Mick Matuszak, athletic trainer and sports medicine instructor, as the teacher who has had the most positive influence in his life.
As a part of Rotary International, the oldest service organization in the world with more than 1.2 million members, the Rotary Club of Los Alamos gratefully acknowledges the contributions Students of the Month and their families make to our community, a principle reflected in the organization’s motto, Service Above Self.
