I november 2009 var det 8 tidligere "ambassadorial scholars" som jobbet ved staben i Rotarys hovedkvarter i Evanston, Chicago.

Fra venstre Mark Garavaglia, Sarah Datz, Brad Lauman, John Osterlund (som mange kjenner som TRF manager), Harvey Newcomb, Jamie Revord, Steven Solomon, og Abby Breitstein. De har alle sine historier å fortelle, og deler gjerne erfaringene med andre.

Les mer (historiene er gjengitt på engelsk)

Abby Breitstein, speech writer, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ithaca, New York, USA (District 7170) to attend University of Birmingham in England in 1999-2000

"When I finally arrived at Digbeth Station from Ithaca, New York, four hours late and in a gloomy gray drizzle, I couldn't help wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake. Then I noticed a man with a white moustache and a very British umbrella waving energetically with a newspaper. My host Rotarian, Dennis Harbird, had been waiting for me the entire afternoon - in the rain. My fondest memories of Birmingham are of evenings spent eating Hobnobs, drinking tea, and watching Coronation Street in the Harbird's living room. Whenever I wanted a break from studying, from my student lodgings, whenever I just felt I needed to be at home - I rang them up and asked to come over. And they always said, "Of course!" I went to Birmingham for a degree, and I left with one - but it was the least important thing to come from that year. Four years later, the Harbirds flew to New York to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. I'm not even sure where my diploma is, but the picture of them at my wedding is on my living room wall."

Brad Lauman, manager of the Scholarships Department, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Valparaiso, Indiana, USA (District 6540) to attend University of Madrid in Spain in 1981-82

"My most memorable experience as a Rotary Scholar was speaking to the Rotary Club of Madrid, immediately followed by an international law professor who outlined the possible ramifications of the ongoing Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) crisis. That Universidad de Madrid Complutense professor then suggested that the US should have asked the United Nations to mediate the crisis between the UK and Argentina. When I returned to my host family that evening, I asked my host grandfather why Spain didn't take back control of Gibraltar while England's ships were steaming toward Argentina and he responded, "That wouldn't be an honorable thing to do." Subsequently, I decided to pursue a masters degree in international policy studies so I could better understand geopolitical science and peace and conflict resolution."

Harvey Newcomb III, division manager of The Rotary Foundation Programs, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Rockford, Illinois, USA (District 6420) to attend Universitat Wien in Austria in 1990-91

"My most memorable experience is really a series of experiences that increased my awareness of how fortunate I was to have enjoyed a life thus far in a free democracy and in relative peace. While studying in Vienna, I spoke at the same Rotary club meeting as the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Austria, whose home had been invaded and was under control of a foreign power at that very moment; I watched the local news with live television coverage of firefights taking place on the Austrian-Slovenian border and the scrambling of the Austrian air force as the conflict in the Balkans spread; I traveled to Budapest, Prague, and Bratislava with Rotaractors, seeing first-hand the continued impact of years of conflict and totalitarian rule; I met other university students who were required to serve in the military for a minimum period of time. These experiences combined had a great impact on me, and helped me realize that I needed to find ways through my professional and personal life to help make the world more peaceful for everyone. Based on my experience as an Ambassadorial Scholar, I changed my career plans from going into international sales and marketing and instead becoming involved with international education. My goal was realized soon after in 1992 when I was offered a position with the Educational Programs Division of The Rotary Foundation, and it pleases me to no end to be continuing in this role 17 years later."

Jamie Revord, Senior Major Gifts Officer, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Wilmette Harbor, Illinois, USA (District 6440) to attend University of Stirling in Scotland in 1994-95

"From climbing in the gorgeous mountains of Glencoe to learning to cook Bangladeshi dishes with my kitchen-mates to eating my first haggis at my host counselor's home, every day held another new discovery. But my most memorable experience must be joining the Scottish undergrads in Stirling University's production of "West Side Story." I was described as a "real authentic American" on the play bill, was regularly asked for pronunciation tips, and got to sing "Somewhere" with the Scottish National Orchestra for 6 nights in a row. The Ambassadorial Scholarship was a life-changing experience for which I'll be forever grateful to The Rotary Foundation."

John Osterlund, general manager of the Rotary Foundation, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sebring, Florida, USA (District 6890) to attend Stockholms Universitet in Sweden in 1987-88

"Given my Scandinavian ancestry, it was to my great advantage to spend my Ambassadorial Scholarship year at the University of Stockholm in Sweden's gorgeous capital city. I met such wonderful people and came to better understand my family history. The highlight of year was being invited to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony on 10 December 1987. For a 22 year old that had never before traveled outside the United States, it was incredible to participate in the pageantry of the Nobel Prize ceremony. Following the ceremony itself, Stockholm Rotarians had arranged for me to attend the fest or celebration. The Nobel Fest has a proud tradition of being Sweden's most spectacular party. I'll never forget standing with a glass of champagne being introduced to Sweden's prime minister at the time, Ingvar Carlsson. Were it not for Rotary, such an opportunity would never have happened".

Mark Garavaglia, assistant general counsel, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Joliet, Illinois, USA (District 6450) to attend University of Melbourne in Australia in 1984-85

"My Rotary counselor picked me up at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne after thousands of miles of air travel and invited me to share a meal with his family. This was just the first of many meals and time with them, including all the major holidays. They actually hosted an American Thanksgiving fest in November, knowing that this was something common in my home country. There were also the people at the school. I still stayed in contact with my advisor nearly 20 years after my stay in Australia. There were also the students. During my year, I stayed at Graduate House. This residence chiefly housed foreign graduate students. Through the years, I have had the opportunity to see some of these people. Overall, it was not one memorable experience about my year, but many that all centered around good people."

Sarah Datz, Communications Specialist, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Moline, Illinois, USA (District 6420) to attend Université de Strasbourg in France in 1996-97

"When I think back on that time, what I reflect on most are the interactions I had as the only American in a group of 10 or so international friends. We had a lot of fun, but we also learned a tremendous amount from each other. The discussions were often political and almost always heated, and I was continually called upon to speak up on behalf (or in defense) of my country. I understood then why the interview for the scholarship was so rigorous, and why the word "ambassador" was part of the title. And I began to believe that if every young person had the same opportunity as we did to learn about other cultures in this way - through daily interaction away from the classroom and without textbooks - that the goal of a more peaceful world really was possible. It is for this reason I sought work at The Rotary Foundation upon my return and have been here ever since."

Steven Solomon, Annual Giving Officer, was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, USA (District 6440) to attend University of Natal in Durban, South Africa in 2000-01

"One of my fondest memories was meeting the South African pop icon, Brenda Fassie. She earned a Kora Award for Best Female Artist and numerous South African music awards. She was known for "Black President," a controversial song about Nelson Mandela that was banned during apartheid. We attended Brenda's performance at the Miss Malaika Pan-African Beauty Pageant Semi Finals in Mmabatho. I asked a security man if we could meet Brenda Fassie, explaining that I was an American student from Chicago studying at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban. Within an hour, we were at the hotel where she stayed, and Brenda graciously granted our request to take pictures with her. We then returned to the venue and discovered that our seats were upgraded to the VIP section with a media pass. On the following morning, Brenda invited me to have Easter breakfast with her at the hotel. This overwhelming experience was just one of the many demonstrations of true South African hospitality. Sadly, Brenda passed away unexpectedly in May 2004. But her memories and musical contributions live on forever."