Ambassadorial Scholar - Rachel Young

Last spring, Rachel Young was selected by District 6220 to receive an Ambassadorial Scholarship. She will be traveling to Taipei, Taiwan in August to go to National Taiwan University and study in the International Chinese Language Program. Rachel is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has a brother who is studying at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Her father works for 3M Company and her mother is a dental assistant. She came to Appleton to study at Lawrence University where she will be graduating in June with a double major in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Rachel will be the first in her family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

Rachel received a $27,000 scholarship from District 6220 / The Rotary Foundation. This helps fund her tuition (at an institution of her choice in the country RI places you), living expenses, airfare and money to travel to and from Rotary events. Rachel is required to give 10 talks to Rotary Clubs around Taiwan and talks when she returns. She attended an orientation in Austin, Texas where she learned how to be an ambassador between Rotary clubs. Taiwan is an island about the same size as Wisconsin and is part of the People’s Republic of China. Taipei has a population of 6,218,227 people. Rachel is assigned to District 3520. Most clubs have dinner meetings versus lunch meetings. Rachel hopes to be involved in some of their youth programs. When Rachel returns, she hopes to go to the Monterey Institute of International Studies and pursue a master’s degree in interpreting and translating. She would like to become an interpreter. This scholarship will be instrumental in Rachel being able to complete these goals.

The 2010-2011 class of Ambassadorial Scholars received $9.6 million through individual grants through The Rotary Foundation. Since 1947, a total of $532 million has been awarded to 41,000 men and women. The scholarships sponsor undergraduate and graduate students, as well as qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the country where they study and give presentations about their own culture to Rotary clubs and other groups. Back home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that deepened their understanding of another culture. The Ambassadorial Scholarships program promotes international understanding and friendly relations among people of different parts of the world. Through their generous contributions, Rotarians worldwide show a continued faith that today’s scholars will be tomorrow's community and world leaders.

Ambassadorial Scholarship - 2013-2014

The Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship program has sponsored more than 40,000 scholars abroad since it began in 1947. It is currently the world’s largest privately funded international scholarship program. Its mission is to send “ambassadors of goodwill” to study in other countries to: build international understanding, increase awareness of and respect for cultural differences, and encourage scholars to dedicate their personal and professional lives to improving the quality of life for people across the world.

This one-year award covers round-trip transportation, tuition, room, board, and educational supplies up to $25,000. While each applicant can list up to five preferred countries and institutions, the final decision of study location is made by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Preference will be given to applicants whose field of study will address the humanitarian needs of the world community. Rotary District 6220 (see map above) awards one Academic Year Scholarship each year. Each local club can submit one applicant for the District competition.

Applicants must either be a resident of District 6220, or a student at a college or university in the District. Because the southern District boundary in the Appleton area is the Outagamie and Winnebago/Calumet County line, Appleton residents who live in Outagamie County are eligible for this District. Appleton residents who live in Winnebago or Calumet counties would apply through a club in District 6270, such as Neenah, Menasha or Oshkosh (that District operates on a different timeline). Winners must have completed at least two years of university or college study (or must have a secondary school education and have been employed in a recognized vocation for at least two years) when the scholarship year begins. Children or grandchildren of Rotarians are not eligible.

Click for an overview or application.

Hannah Warren Dinner Presentation

There will be a dinner on Monday, August 22 at the Legends in DePere beginning at 5:30 p.m. to raise money for Hannah Warren, past Ambassadorial Rotary Scholarship winner, who will talk about her journey and how she helped women in Varanasi, India by creating Jhoole, a company that uses the vast talents of Indian weavers to benefit people living in poverty and give Indian women the opportunity to learn to feed themselves. In this rural area, the wife’s income automatically becomes her husband’s spending money. All too often the women complained that their husbands spent all their hard earned money on gambling and liquor. They came up with a solution. Rather than getting all the money directly, they can choose to purchase things such as children’s school fees from a communal fund Jhoole weavers make recycled denim skorts, dresses, crushed cotton scarves, custom embroidered dresses and table runners. You can buy them at Just Goods, 201 Seventh Street in Rockford. For tickets to the dinner, please contact Thom Cody at tcody@pathmakers-inc.com.