Monday, August 3, 2009

Introduction

The Object of Rotary is to “encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise.” Since 1910, the Rotary Motto has been “Service Above Self.”

As a Cultural Ambassadorial Scholar, I am fortunate to be both a recipient and an agent of the Rotary mission of service. To begin, I have this tremendous opportunity thanks to the generosity and support of the Hamden Rotary Club, District 7980, and the Rotary Foundation. The Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship is one of the many scholarship programs that Rotarians across the U.S. and the world fund, providing support for students doing everything from a three-month scholarship like myself, to multi-academic year programs overseas.

The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholar is to "promote international understanding and goodwill through study in another country" in order to "further The Rotary Foundation’s mission of improving health, supporting education, and alleviating poverty". More specifically, as a Cultural Scholar, my charge is three-fold:
  1. Study Spanish intensively to the point of fluency
  2. Act as an ambassador in El Salvador by reaching out to local Rotary clubs and the community more broadly. I will visit, give public speeches, share U.S. culture and learn about the El Salvadoran culture, and forge connections between Rotarians in the U.S. and abroad
  3. Volunteer
In terms of the third objective, I will be interning with VisionSpring, an internationally-reknown non-profit organization whose mission it is "to reduce poverty and generate opportunity in the developing world through the sale of affordable eyeglasses". They have an innovative business model where they empower local entrepreneurs to launch their own businesses selling the eyeglasses in their communities.

I will arrive in San Salvador on August 23rd and spend the next three months fulfilling the mission of Rotary.

To learn more about the Hamden Rotary Club and the service its members are providing locally and globally, go to www.hamdenctrotary.org.

To learn more about VisionSpring, go to www.visionspring.org.
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4 comments:

  1. ConradAugust 10, 2009 at 4:50 PM

    Matt,

    Thanks for this link! You will be the Weekly Program for the Rotary eClub of District 7890 on September 7. I'll provide a link to this blog and ask the eClubbers to read and respond to your blog. For many of us in the eClub, this will be a great first-hand introduction to the Rotary Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship program.

    Vaya con Dios, amigo!

    ~Conrad Sienkiewicz, secretary of Rotary eClub District 7890

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  2. Brian MurrayAugust 19, 2009 at 7:54 AM

    Thanks for sharing... will add to my blog list and will follow your adventures. Buena suerte!

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  3. Auntie RoseSeptember 7, 2009 at 5:16 AM

    Matthew,
    Looking forward to your updates.... you're amazing! Be well, be safe. Love, Aunt Rose : )

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  4. SamuelSeptember 7, 2009 at 12:21 PM

    Matt,
    I am a member of the Rotary eClub of District 7890. As Conrad has mentioned, our members are focusing on your blog for our weekly program. To paraphrase my post to our discussion group, I have no doubt that you will have an eventful and thoroughly fascinating experience during your three months in El Salvador. Kudos to the Hamden Rotary Club for sponsoring you. I was impressed with your background and with your inclination to have an open mind while abroad. Living in another country, especially a developing one, is so helpful for putting your life in the U.S. in perspective--as you have no doubt found from the Peace Corps. I wish you a safe and memorable trip.
    Sam

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