Rotary Club of Selma reinstates Interact Club for teens at Morgan Academy

The Selma Rotary Club on Tuesday inducted 35 members of a newly reestablished Interact Club of teen members at Morgan Academy. 

It has been about 10 years since the Rotary Club of Selma has had an active Interact Club at Morgan Academy, but the club of teens in eighth through 12th grades got restarted in 2023. And Rotary Club of Selma is working with school superintendents to add Interact Clubs at Dallas County and Selma High schools. 

“We are thrilled to welcome back our Interact Club to Selma!” said Collins Pettaway, Rotary President. “I extend special thanks to Rotarians Cindy Fisher and Leith Wilson for their leadership and guidance throughout this journey. Our new Interactors are already making a positive impact in the community, and I'm confident they're just getting started.” 

The Morgan Interact Club got started through the leadership of seniors Anne Hayes Utsey and Lelia Kelly. The seniors approached Rotary Club President Elect Cindy Fisher about restarting the Interact Club to give students at Morgan Academy more volunteer options for their needed community service hours. 

Kelly said she reached out to Rotary to restart Interact Club for more service opportunities. 

“I have always been serious about getting involved any way I can, but being from a small town there aren't a lot of opportunities,” she said. “That made me realize I have to create my own opportunities, which inspired me to do research to start a community-oriented club.” 

The club restarted in October with the first service project involving the teens helping Rotary Club make Cozy Dawgs over six days at the annual Central Alabama Fair, which is an annual fundraiser for the Selma Club. 

Since then, the teen leaders rang the bell to raise money for Salvation Army at Walmart in Selma and they hosted their own service project of making and giving out Christmas cards at the local nursing home. The Interact Club also helped in big numbers at the Bloch Park Cleanup on a chilly February Saturday. 

In March, three Morgan Interact Club members and a Keith High student attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Program at Camp ASCCA representing Selma Rotary alongside teens from 48 Rotary Clubs in south-central Alabama to focus on leadership and decision-making skills. 

Selma Rotary Club plans to start Interact Clubs at Dallas County schools and Selma High to increase civic involvement among teens throughout Selma-Dallas County.  

“We appreciate our partnership with Morgan Academy and have ambitious plans ahead,” Pettaway said. “Currently, we are actively discussing the expansion of Interact to Dallas County Schools, with future plans to include Selma City Schools. Our overarching goal is to ensure that our young scholars are well-equipped with the essential tools of leadership, camaraderie, and service, benefiting not only our community but also communities nationwide.” 

Fisher said getting teens involved in Interact and Rotary’s “Service Above Self” actions will be a great way to boost Rotary’s rosters in the future when they enter the workforce, ideally back in Selma.