Madelyn Donner ‘24 has been chosen as the Rotary Senior of the Month for May.

Throughout high school, Donner has participated in many activities. She is the President of EHS Dance Ensemble and a member of National Honors Society, the National Honors Society for Dance Arts, Italian Honors Society, and Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honors Society).

With a passion for dance, Donner dances both in and out of school. She is a part of the dance competition team at the Athletic Dance Institute and a member of the Rutgers Junior Dance Team. In her free time, she loves working out, baking, and spending time with her family and friends.

Donner plans to attend Loyola University Maryland and receive a marketing degree to sell medical devices in hospitals. In addition, she wants the opportunity to teach dance classes at a local dance studio.

One piece of advice Donner has for underclassmen is to get involved with as many clubs and activities as possible.

“It allows you to make friends with the same interests as you and gives you the opportunity to make so many great memories in an environment that can get stressful sometimes,” said Donner.

Donner admires her grandmother as a role model, who used to be a secretary at Edison High’s front office. She believes her grandmother taught her how to be strong in the toughest moments. She also learned many life lessons from her grandmother and other influential people in her life.

“The best life lesson I have learned in life is that saying ‘no’ to someone is okay, and that you should always put your mental health first,” said Donner. “As someone who was a people pleaser, it was always a hard lesson for me to learn.”

To motivate herself during difficult times, Donner thinks about the challenges as preparing her for life later, which teaches her a lot about herself.

One word Donner chooses to describe her high school experience is “inspiring,” due to the great memories and accomplishments she had throughout her years.