Ambassadorial Duties

As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, I am required to participate in my host Rotary club (Club Rotario Medellin), make 10-15 presentations throughout my district to other clubs and any other group of people who would be interested, partake in Rotary events happening throughout the city, teach people about Rotary and my scholarship, and spread 'peace and goodwill' throughout Colombia. All of these activities require a large amount of self-motivation and confidence since I frequently have to walk into a room of the wealthiest, most influential, and intelligent people in Medellin inspiring them to continue putting 'service above self'. For those of you who knew me before I went to Italy on the Rotary Youth Exchange, I could barely look my relatives in the eye and have a normal conversation I was so shy. Although remnants of that anti-social girl still poke through my current personality, constantly representing my sponsor Rotary District 5300 and my entire country has been a great exercise at not only being comfortable with but actually enjoying public attention.

One of the most helpful factors is the result of the energy I invested during my first months here meeting as many Rotarians as possible. It means that whenever I attend the meeting of a new club to make a presentation I am greeted by familiar faces who are always friendly and supportive. Moving to a foreign country on one's own could be a lonely experience, but Colombians and specifically Colombian Rotarians are some of the most welcoming people I have ever met and have never once felt excluded.

My presentations usually consist of a brief introduction to where I come from (Encinitas/Southern California), my family, my sponsor club, and then I explain my experience with Rotary through being a member of Interact in high school and going on an exchange to Milan. I then move into how I developed an interest in public health, starting with working in the Peruvian Amazon with an indigenous community, conducting diabetes research at the LA Free Clinic, and interning at The Carter Center. I emphasize the efficacy of projects with simple solutions such as filtering water with a cloth in Africa to prevent Guinea Worm, and how while internationally Rotary is one of the most successful organizations in this sense, local clubs should use similar tactics when developing community projects. Usually my presentation ends with thunderous applause and Rotarians coming up to me with business cards offering me access to the country club, a tourist agency to plan my next trip, visits to prisons, a weekend getaway to a finca, among other random opportunities. Rotarians help me keep a fairly busy schedule, to say the least.

Two weekends ago I participated in a seminar given by the district governor-elect and her club on the district's goals for the upcoming Rotary year (starting July 1), and it was more fun for me to float around between clumps of Rotarians visiting with people from all over the city than it is for me to go out to a discotec with young paisas. The minimum age to become a Rotarian is 30, but the average age of my host club is about 72 and most other Rotarians I know are around my parent's age, meaning that the people who I hang out with most in Colombia are double, triple my years. I find that they always teach me something new about Colombian culture, engage me in interesting conversations about politics or globalization, and are interested to hear about my opinions of the country.
Of course the Rotaract (18-30) and Interact (high school age) clubs help keep me up-to-date with the latest trends among Colombian youth. Last Saturday I worked with the Rotaract Club of El Poblado to organize a blood drive in the center. We thought that the location, at the base of the most important financial building and near a shopping mall, would be a difficult place to attract the 40 people we hoped would donate because of the fast-moving pedestrian traffic all around, but were proved wrong. As I stood outside handing out pamphlets and trying to entice people towards the gurneys and needles, I was surprised at how many people not only were aware of the benefits of donating blood but routinely offered up their veins. Compared to the blood donation culture of which I am aware in the US, Colombians are extremely well-educated on the difference it makes. By the time I left for lunch at noon, our slogan "Give blood, give life" had yielded us a line of people waiting to be attended by the nurses.

I have also enjoyed sharing the Rotary culture here in Medellin with my many visitors. My grandma and her new husband, farmer friend MK, and boyfriend James have all attended a meeting with me and been wooed by the gumptious old Rotarians over typical food and interesting presentations from outside speakers. As an ambassador, I feel like I am successfully accomplishing the task of serving as a liaison between US and Colombian culture, creating opportunities outside of myself for everyone to participate in cross-cultural experiences. If only I could be an Ambassadorial Scholar forever...