By MAGGIE THORNSBERRY

Gazebo Staff Writer

Tarab Ajjan was named winner of the Rotary Club’s local school speech competition at Mercer University on Thursday, February 25.

She received a $1,000 college scholarship. Ajjan, a junior, is considering  Vanderbilt among her college choices.

Ajjan competed against six other high school students from Macon. She advances to the “zone” competition in Sandersville on Saturday, March 12. She has the chance to win another $1,000 scholarship and continue to the Rotary district conference competition in Augusta in May.

Ajjan wrote a Rotary Four-Way Test on Syrian issues. Her family is of Syrian descent.

“I’m really excited to be making it this far because I didn’t really expect it, especially since at first I had been doubting on whether or not I should do the competition since I had never done it before,” she said.