The future is in GOOD hands!
The following letter was submitted earlier this summer from World Affairs Seminar Board Member and Rotarian from the Wayne Rotary Club in Wayne, Nebraska.
Last week we heard from the Wayne Rotary Scholarship delegates to the Virtual World Affairs Seminar, June 22-24. Treyton Blecke, Jacob Kneifl, Taytum Sweetland, and Christopher Woerdemann shared why they went, what they gained, and what their futures hold. All of them were thankful for the opportunity, and said the seminar was ‘better than expected’ even with occasional challenges of internet connections, and juggling summer work and sports demands. All of them said that the topic, “Hunger – In a World of Plenty” intrigued them, and they learned so much they didn’t know.
Christopher started off saying he didn’t intend to go – but can never say no to “Judge Ensz” – and enjoyed the diplomacy exercise the most, where he had been assigned to be the ‘aggressor’ in a simulated international crisis – but managed to become the negotiator, and resolved the conflict to everyone’s agreement. Christopher is considering futures in law and/or music.
Treyton said his favorite speaker was Jon Rubin from Pittsburg, who established a ‘street restaurant’ designed to bring people of many cultures and beliefs together for understanding and building friendship. The “Conflict Kitchen” challenges people to realize that fear can lead to hate, and eating together, learning about each other conquers fear and hate. Treyton would like to become an aerospace engineer.
Jacob resonated with Dr. Rebekah Walker, an Endocrinologist who shared issues of food insecurity for people with Type I Diabetes. As Jacob himself has Type I diabetes, her talk was personal and profound. In fact Jacob’s future goals aspire to being an Endocrinologist himself.
Taytum was also attracted to the topic of Hunger in a World of Plenty, and is interested in studying Social Sciences and considering a career in Social Services. She said that though we were ‘online’ – which isn’t as ‘personal’ as in person seminars, she was able to make a number of friends from California, Ohio, Wisconsin and even Nepal, where delegates live almost 12 hours away, and had to ‘attend’ sessions after midnight local time!
These remarkable delegates inspire confidence in the future as they consider global problems and solutions, aspiring to futures in law, social services, endocrinology and aerospace engineering. The future is in GOOD hands!
