MARYSVILLE – Eleven high school girls in Marysville each received $1,500 scholarships from the Marysville Soroptimist Club Tuesday.

About half of the recipients were Girls of the Month this year. The others were at-large.

Those who won from Marysville Getchell were: Margarytte Moller, Janelle Li, Danielle Daguison, Carley Wika and Whitney Buell.

From Marysville-Pilchuck, the winners were: Mackenzi Chapman, Lauren Ghosn, Laura Koty, Abby Magee, Mackenzie Smith and Sara Vanderway.

Club president Linda Clay said Soroptimists work on fund-raising events all year to bring in the scholarship money.

“It’s the highlight of all we do,” she said of honoring young women with money to help them go to college.

Mayor Jon Nehring added, “It’s somewhat startling how much these young ladies accomplish.”

He said people often ask themselves, “Did I do that much” when I was in school? “I don’t think we did.”

Marysville School District board president Pete Lundberg said he knows from personal experience how proud parents are when their kids do well.

“Nothing happens by accident,” he told the parents in the crowd.

Kathy Wilde of the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program at M-P, said of the recipients graduating and moving on in life: “These are scary first steps, but we support you every step of the way.”

She added that Marysville will always be there for them.

“If your light gets weak, look back to your community. We will remind you how strong you are,” Wilde said.

Clay called Chapman’s award special because it is given honoring longtime Soroptimist member Mary Jane Miller.

Soroptimists also gave a gift to the NJROTC program, presented by member Wilde to cadet Ensign Alexsandria Leavitt, a junior.