Dear Rotarians,I’ve been proud to be a Rotarian for a long time. But today, the Rotarian spirit in me hit a whole new level. This letter is about a lot of things, but ultimately, it’s about what Rotary is best at…connecting with people.
This story starts five years ago in 2014. Back then, I was working as the Youth Services Director in North Reading, while still a Wakefield Rotarian. That year, North Reading Rotary had an abundance of applicants for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). Two students would have to be cut, and I just knew all of the candidates deserved RYLA. I reached out to my Wakefield Club President at the time, Bob Kimball, to see if Wakefield would be willing to fund two students from North Reading. As is common with many communities at the time, RYLA conflicted with Wakefield’s prom and SAT prep so we had no candidates from that class. Bob proposed the idea to our Board and unanimously they agreed to fund two students from North Reading. Ultimately, we sponsored a Sophomore, Annie Nietzsche, and a Junior Marc Flaherty.
Flash forward several months, and I was able to attend RYLA with Annie and Marc as a Rotarian volunteer. I was standing with Annie as she broke her first wooden board using a focused strength technique the group was learning. Her surprise and excitement made me cry.
The following year, Marc decided to become a RYLA Senior, and since then he has stayed as a volunteer with RYLA throughout his college days at Colby Sawyer. Marc is a born educator. Not because he is smart and great with kids, but because he cares. He really cares. And he doesn’t pretend he doesn’t. Kids feel that, his peers feel that, and I have no doubt that it translates across any language. It was no surprise when Marc told me he wanted to be a teacher when he graduated college.
Over his time in college, Marc made sure to keep in contact with my Rotary Club. When he was home on vacation, he’d reach out to me and ask if he could come visit, and my club just loved seeing him. Of course, we always put him on the spot and asked him for updates. He was starting a Rotaract online, he was doing well in school, and he was balancing his personal interests. So it really shouldn’t have been a surprise when he told me quietly that he was applying for the Peace Corps.
Let me be specific here. Marc didn’t just apply to the Peace Corps. He applied with an open placement. This meant he was willing to be placed anywhere in the world that had a need; he made no requests. Again, not surprisingly, Marc was accepted to the Peace Corps a few months later.
Just three weeks ago, Marc graduated from Colby Sawyer and prepared for his next challenge. Learning he was going to work in Ethiopia, Marc “began mental preparations” as well as doing heavy research. But it was tough. With his open placement, he only knows the country he will be teaching. He has no idea of geographical location in Ethiopia, the local dialects he should practice, nor what resources will be available to him.
Marc is leaving for Ethiopia on Friday, and today he came to my Rotary Club. Before lunch, he spent time with Rotarian Judy Gordon from my club, a Peace Corps veteran to India fifty years ago. As she said, “All of my tips are outdated,” but they shared that commonality. Last minute, as always, we asked Marc to speak. His first sentence was “I was introduced to a life of service through Rotary. It’s because of this club that I’m going to be an English teacher in Ethiopia.” You can imagine the reaction. Swelling with pride and awe, our members all lit up. After he told us about his experience since his first RYLA, serving as a RYLA senior, his time in college, and what it was like for him to remain connected to our club, a flood of questions came from our Rotarians.
“What shots do you need?”
“How does your family feel?”
“What supplies do you have to pack?”
Marc answered them all patiently, and I knew the next question was coming. Long-time Rotarian Lisa Roderick asked, “When you find that your school needs something, or the community you’re working in needs something, will you remember us?” Marc seemed ready for the question too; I think he knew a Rotarian would have that in mind. He told us that his goal is to connect with a local Rotary club and do his best to improve whatever needs to be taken care of wherever he landed. In addition, in his big-picture, he wants to keep a focus on educating the girls of the community. “I want to make sure they know that they can learn too, no matter what, and it’ll be my job to tell them that,” he said.
After the meeting, of course, everyone congratulated him and wished him safe travels. For me, it was hard saying good-bye. We promised to keep in contact and I will follow his blog whenever he’s able to update it. Driving back to work, I had a lot of thoughts about Rotary and its impact.
This is a story about reaching out across geographical boarders. I remember during Past District Governor David Gardner’s District Conference a few years back, we were all sitting in “The Cave” when Keith and Christina Harris outlined a funding gap for that year’s RYLA recipients. By the time I got my checkbook out, every candidate was paid for, no matter where their hometown was. It was inspiring and I thought about Marc and Annie. Rotarians, if you cannot participate in RYLA, please advocate for funding a student from your community. If not from your home, don’t be afraid to reach across those geographical town borders.
This is a story about the power of RYLA. I cannot give enough credit to the RYLA staff who during Marc’s time, before Marc’s time and after Marc’s time continue to invest in youth. I know Marc isn’t the first graduate of RYLA to do onto work for humanity. But he did a great job at reminding me of what RYLA can do when it’s at its best. To Andy Maddox, Jim Babbin, Christina Harris, Keith Harris, and the dozens of volunteers who participate in RYLA…thank you and congratulations. I see your work. I see its value. It’s immeasurable.
This is a story about connecting people, across generations. Marc was 17 when he first interacted with Rotary, and yet, from the start, Rotarians three and four times his age were encouraging, supportive, and welcoming. And he was open to receiving that! Often times we hear that Rotary is getting “too old,” and while I understand the point behind that, I can’t help but remind Rotarians about the value our “elders” bring to Rotary. It was such a cool thing to watch Marc come back to our club today and chat with Past President Bob Kimball, his original RYLA sponsor, or Judy Gordon, our 50-year Peace Corps graduate.
And it is a story about finding inspiration. Sometimes, we go to a meeting, chat with a friend, and go through the usual traditions. But every now, and again, we have a speaker, learn about a program, or hear a story that reminds us about what it’s like to have a positive impact in the life of others. Marc did that for me today, and I’m so very thankful. As an “added bonus” we had a prospective member at the meeting today. He’s joining now, and I know it’s because of Marc’s story.
A final few thanks are deserved. Thank you to Marc and Annie (and their families) who trusted me back in 2014 when I told them I knew of a great program they should attend (Annie is graduating from Framingham State next year). To Bob Kimball and his Board who took my word for it that two kids from outside of town deserved this opportunity. To the Wakefield Rotarians who welcomed those kids with open arms, and continue to do so. Again, to the staff of RYLA, past, present, and future, your work is timeless and vital. And to the District Governors who have, continue, and will support RYLA, thank you for keeping RYLA on the radar.
Finally, I’d like to encourage Rotarians to share stories like these. I know there are lots of them. As I pass on my District role of Public Image Chair to David Deutsch, I’m reminded that I should have been better about capturing these stories. They are personal stories. They are inspirational stories. They are Rotary stories. Please consider sharing your own with our district, with your club, and with your community. They’re so important, especially today.
Yours in Rotary
Amy Luckiewicz, Wakefield Rotary