Rotary UN Day – An inspiring experience
Hannah Smith, a senior at WHS and the president of the Interact club, traveled to New York with Hannah Farr and about 50 other high school kids representing District 7780 for Rotary UN Day in October. Hannah F. was unable to join us due to bronchitis, but she sent along her regrets and her thanks for an incredible experience. They met people from all over the country and a few from around the world.
Hannah S. learned about Rotary UN Day from a friend in Connecticut who attended in 2013. With support from Mr Dyer, she and Hannah F. were able to take advantage of this opportunity to participate with others from the District.
On the first night, they got to enjoy some of what NY has to offer. They spent time in Times Square and saw the Broadway musical Wicked. On Saturday morning, they went to the UN. The UN spans six blocks and has extremely tight (and scary!) security. It all became real to the students as they passed through security, had their photos taken and received their UN credentials. They marveled at the vast ceiling as they made their way to a conference room with other Rotary delegates and UN personnel from all over.
The students listened to speakers touch upon various global issues from peace, to education, to health, to sustainability. Hannah was inspired by the speakers and recognized that we are not isolated from the world and its issues. For example, they learned that 3.5 billion people live on less than $2 per day. They literally live with no access to education or health care, no belongings, no hope. They heard Michael Grudzinski, the President of UNICEF stress the importance of global citizenship. Marilyn Fitzgerald, a Michigan Rotarian, told of her work traveling around the world to provide money to send young girls to school. Then she met a rice farmer in Indonesia who asked for money to buy a water buffalo. Why did he want that water buffalo? He knew that with the animal, he could raise three times more rice and make enough money to send his own daughter to school. She learned from this story that people need opportunity, not charity. Lasting effects come from providing opportunity.
They also heard from Deepa Willingham, the founder of PACE Universal, an organization that builds schools for girls in third world countries. As a result of this organization, these girls will have fewer children themselves and use their education to help provide for their families and possibly change cultures around the globe. Hannah realizes that she is one of the lucky ones - to be able to go school every day, to not be married a young age, to not worry about being killed for attending school. She wants that to be the norm for all girls around the world.
Finally, they left the UN and went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. She was only four years old when the attacks happened, so it was enlightening for her to see the displays and hear the final voicemails. She urged all of us to go there if we visit New York City.
Hannah says she’ll carry the teachings of UN Day with her and live the ideals of global citizenship for the rest of her life. She also wanted to thank us for this life-altering and memorable experience. She is very grateful for the experience and plans to take those lessons forward as she moves on to college next year.