Meet the Ambassadorial Scholars
If you'd like a scholar to speak to your club, contact Bob Ernstein - bobernstein@att.net
DISTRICT 5500 AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARS
2008-2009
Edward Walneck - Eddie has become very familiar with Rotary, both internationally and locally, its projects, programs, ideals and mission. Coming from and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Gila Valley, he received a Bachelors Degree from Harvard, studied for a year in China, and currently is teaching English in South Korea. Eddie feels that coming from a small town gives you a better understanding of community. He will be returning home this fall and plans to become personally involved with his sponsoring club and participate in district programs. Eddie is articulate, personable, and dedicated to working for the betterment of humanity. He plans to study international relations, “exploring China’s contemporary search for a global identity.” Our interview panel was impressed with Eddie’s poise, demeanor, and ability to answer questions in a succinct but thorough manner. He has maturity beyond his years and would make an ideal future candidate for the World Peace Scholarship. Eddie will make an excellent Ambassador of Goodwill, representing his family, district and Rotary International.
2007-2008
Kathleen
Mills ~ Katie is a Rotaract member at Arizona State University. She is
a senior at ASU, majoring in Political Science. Katie is sponsored by the
Rotary Club of Casa Grande, with Randy Lessor her Sponsor Counselor. She
is active in and takes leadership roles in numerous community service
organizations, at ASU, with her sponsoring Rotary club, and in El
Salvador. Katie plans to study International Relations and has chosen the
Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina as her first-choice
university. With her warm personality and boundless enthusiasm she will
represent Rotary and our District as a true Ambassador of Goodwill.
Her blog can be followed at www.rotary-katieinperu.blogspot.com
2006-2007
Justin
Bergfield ~ Justin is a Ph.D. candidate at The U of A in Molecular
Physics - Quantum Information and is spending his scholarship year at the
University of Oxford in England. He is a graduate of Canyon del Oro High
School, has his Bachelors Degree in Computer Engineering and his Masters
in Quantum Optics from The U of A. Justin is sponsored by the
Tucson-Saguaro Rotary Club, with Dave Becker as his Sponsor Counselor. He
is extremely well spoken, exhibits warmth and humor, and is committed to
education and its value to creating a better society. Justin has received
a number of awards, was a technical group leader while working at
Raytheon, and has been a teacher of volunteer students. He has
participated in the Foundation Seminar, spoken at local Rotary clubs, and
attended other gatherings representing the Ambassadorial Scholarship
program.
2005-2006
Ashley York ~
Ashley has recently returned from her year as an Ambassadorial Scholar in
Singapore. She was sponsored by the Tucson-Rincon Rotary Club, with
Kristen Stephens as her Sponsor Counselor. Ashley has a Bachelor of
Science Degree from The Florida State University in Sociology, and
continued her studies in Media Communications at The Pennsylvania State
University. Ashley was a GSE Team member from Pennsylvania to Japan in
early 2003, then in October she went to Ethiopia as a non-Rotarian Polio
Plus volunteer helping to immunize 80 children and participating in other
mission activities. During her time in Ethiopia, Ashley wrote daily
articles for the “York (Pa.) Daily Record” and in June 2004 had a
photo-journal article (Visions of Africa) published in “The
Rotarian” magazine. Since returning to Tucson, Ashley has spoken to the
Rio Rico Rotary Club and has several other speaking engagements scheduled.
2004-2005
Vanessa
Barchfield ~ Vanessa returned from her year in Mumbai (Bombay), India.
After speaking to several Tucson area Rotary clubs, Vanessa has now moved
to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she is a journalist for an English newspaper.
2003-2004
Leanne
Sedowski ~ Leanne will be returning from the University of Durban,
South Africa, where she remained for an additional year to complete her
Masters Degree.
Jacklyn Ward
~ Jackie returned from Guadalajara, Mexico and after a year in Tucson, she
returned to teach English at a private school in Guadalajara.
Information
on other past “Out Bound” and “In Bound” scholars is available by
contacting Bob Ernstein bobernstein@att.net
Rotary District 5500
- “Out-Bound” Ambassadorial Scholarship
Information for the 2009/2010 One-Academic Year Scholarship
Students
learn about the scholarship from Rotary International’s web page, from
our District’s web page, or through a Rotarian. Rotary web
pages are: http://www.rotaryd5500.org/
or http://www.rotary.org
Although
Rotary International states that application deadlines can be as late as
July 15, our district’s applications are available beginning in January
and the deadline is in late March. (See
schedule below.)
The
award is intended to help cover tuition, fees, room and board, limited
language training and miscellaneous expenses.
Although the financial limit varies, the current maximum is
$23,000, which includes transportation.
Competition is keen, with approximately 8 to 10 student finalists
each year. It takes about 40
hours of research and work to complete an application.
Our district has traditionally offered at least one, and often
two scholarships annually.
At
least 2 years of college must be completed before the scholarship period
begins.
Sponsorship by a Rotary
Club in District 5500 (Southern Arizona), with a Sponsor Counselor
identified, is a requirement.
Ambassadorial
scholarships have been in existence since 1947. All
things being equal, candidates applying for a scholarship to a Rotary Low
Income Country will be given greater consideration.
Candidates must be fluent in the language of the country in which
they propose to study and are responsible for applying and gaining
admission to the study institution they have selected.
Applications
become available in January 2008
and can be obtained by contacting Bob
Ernstein (520) 747-2285, via e-mail
at <bobernstein@att.net> or Michael Drake at <Michael.Drake@azbar.org>.
Included with the
application form, is a cover letter with specific deadline dates, a
listing of Rotary Low Income Countries, and if needed, a list of Rotary
Clubs that can be contacted for sponsorship.
Informational
sessions will be held on The University of Arizona campus on a Monday and
Tuesday, in early February 2008 at 4:30p.m.
(Location to be announced.)
It is suggested that the potential candidate attend one of these
sessions where we review the application page-by-page; identify criteria
and critical concerns for this scholarship; and offer an opportunity to
answer questions.
By
the first week of March each candidate must have secured a Rotary
Club in our district as their sponsor.
To qualify for this scholarship the candidate must meet with
his/her Rotarian sponsor, visit their club, learn more about Rotary and
its scholarships, be interviewed by the sponsoring club’s scholarship
committee, and have the signed approval of the club president.
The completed application will be submitted to the scholarship
committee by the sponsoring Rotary club.
Completed
applications will be due at the district level (to Bob Ernstein) the last
week of March.
Interviews
for the finalists will be held in early April. The candidates to be interviewed will be given the
location and exact interview time no later than March 31.
The district’s interview panel is made up of 5 to 7 Rotary
members from clubs throughout the district.
Interviews begin around 9 a.m. and are scheduled every 45 minutes.
Only the candidate is to be in attendance.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF A ROTARY CLUB AND SPONSOR COUNSELOR
Each
Rotary club in the district is encouraged to nominate at least one
candidate for each available scholarship OR be willing to act as a Sponsor
Club for a student wishing to make application.
The
club should appoint a Rotarian to act as the Sponsor Counselor for each
applicant to assist them with the application process and serve as their
link to Rotary.
The
scholar should be knowledgeable about Rotary’s ideals and should be
helped to establish ambassadorial goals.
The counselor can also assist by helping the scholar gather
information about the community, region and country for use in
presentations in the host country.
When
the scholarship recipients are announced, the successful candidate’s
sponsor should continue to work with the scholar to prepare him/her for
their experience abroad.
Each scholarship recipient is required to speak to Rotary clubs in his/her sponsoring district prior to departure and upon returning home; to keep in touch with the sponsoring club during study abroad; and is encouraged to participate in the District Conference before and after the scholarship year. The Sponsor Counselor is the liaison for these activities.
Bob Ernstein and Michael Drake, Scholarship Committee Co-Chairmen
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