"Elevator" Description of Rotary

Throughout the year, I have gotten pretty good at my “elevator” description of Rotary International– my quick narrative that encompasses the international network dedicated to service above self and doing good in the world. In talking with several Ghanaian students about Rotary and the Ambassadorial Scholarship, I found that many students were genuinely impressed and wondered if they could do something like it. Unfortunately, I heard that awarding Ambassadorial Scholarships in Ghana ended quite a few years back. I discussed the issue with a Rotarian who told me that they had several problems with the scholars not returning home if they went to the US or UK. Even though they were required to return after a year, they found a way to stay secretly without being able to be contacted. I was surprised that a scholar would do that and also that they could get away with it. She said that it was impossible to distinguish the types of people who would follow the rules and those who would not. Maybe, I thought, they did not complete the same rigorous interview and application process that was required in my home district. "Luckily," she said, "the good students who are trustworthy can still get other types of scholarships to get them to the US or UK." I thought about this for a minute and realized, “But that suggests that academic scholarships serve the same purpose as the Ambassadorial Scholarship. There is no way my experience here would have been the same if I was on a purely academic scholarship.” I have faith that something can be done to reinstate scholarships as part of Future Vision (Rotary's new grant program replacing the Ambassadorial Scholarship). There are ways to ensure a student returning. Perhaps it could be part of a two-year program where the second year is finished back in Ghana, or data are collected abroad and brought back home. The purpose of going abroad could be learning about a tool or skill that is necessary to fulfill a need back in Ghana. I think with proper interviewing and structure of the scholarship, something could be done. The experience is just too valuable to miss.