By Maureen Fox

Daily Titan Staff Writer

The Fullerton Sunrise Rotary Club will sponsor one student to study abroad for the 2011-12 academic year with a scholarship, known as the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for up to $26,000.

Carolyn E. Johnson, president of the Fullerton Sunrise Rotary Club, stated in a press release that, “The program hopes these students’ experiences with other cultures and people around the world will inspire them to dedicate their personal and professional lives to improving the quality of life for the people in their home communities and countries.”

According to Johnson, the Rotary Club has given an estimated $500 million to roughly 38,000 men and women from 100 nations to study in more than 70 countries since 1947. Of the more than 800 ambassadorial scholarships to be awarded for the 2011-12 academic year, the Fullerton Sunrise Rotary Club will sponsor one of three scholarships offered in the rotary district serving Orange and Southern Los Angeles counties.

Johnson said the scholarship can be received either for one year at a maximum of $26,000 or for multiple years at a maximum of $13,000 per year.

Johnson said she believes studying abroad is a great experience for students to have.

“It’s really an eye-opener to how other people live,” she said. “You can read all the textbooks and hear all the lectures, but there’s nothing like being there.”

According to the Rotary’s Web site, the organization consists “of more than 1.2 million business, professional and community leaders (who) provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”

While studying abroad, rotary scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors, where they participate in the host city’s local rotary club and complete community service. When they return home, the scholars share their experiences through presentations to rotary clubs and other small groups.

In order to qualify for the scholarship, prospective applicants must meet several requirements.

Students must have completed two years of college or university study by the time the scholarship begins, and they cannot be a rotarian member or be a direct descendant of a rotarian member. Students also cannot use the scholarship for full-time employment, internships or unsupervised research in another country.

Students who study in a non-English speaking country must pass a language test for that country. Some institutions also offer extensive language-learning courses before their programs begin.

Johnson said that students can use this scholarship to study in almost any field.

The Fullerton Sunrise Rotary Club has successfully sponsored students before, several who are continuing their studies and travels abroad.

Amy Henslin, an alumna from UC Santa Barbara, is one of their scholarship winners. She is using her $25,000 scholarship to work on her master’s degree at Maastricht University in the Netherlands for the 2010-11 academic year.

Henslin, who studied abroad in Germany as an undergraduate, recently moved to Germany, where she will be teaching English as a second foreign language until her scholarship begins in September. She said she thinks the scholarship will give her more insight into working for a non-profit organization and into different world issues. She is excited about the opportunity to gain experience in her field and to explore her host country.

“One of the best parts about studying abroad is getting to know the people and the area,” Henslin stated in an e-mail interview. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people, learning Dutch and exploring the Netherlands.”

As a rotary ambassador, Henslin will be volunteering with the Support Eastern Europe Association for her service project, raising money for women devastated by the Bosnian War in the ’90s.

“I had the opportunity to work a little on this during an internship in Germany,” Henslin said. “I’m excited to dive back in and help these women out.”

Kyle Taylor is another ambassadorial recipient. He used his scholarship to study at the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom during the 2008-09 academic year. In an e-mail interview, Taylor said that the opportunity to study his passion and the support from his host rotary club were highlights of his experience.

“Everyone was so welcoming and so supportive,” Taylor said. “From Sunday lunches to providing me with anything and everything I needed, the club was fantastic.”

He also enjoyed his service project, in which he trained and swam 25 miles in the English Channel to raise $10,000 for the Harvey Parry Foundation.

Taylor graduated with his master’s degree in international politics and communication this past year and is currently traveling Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East to look at eco-tourism and sustainable travel. He is moving to Sydney, Australia to continue non-profit work.

“By being able to study at such an international institution, I have built a global network of friends and colleagues that will no doubt remain close in the years to come,” Taylor said.

For more information on the different programs, host institutions and the application process, visit Rotary.org. Applications are due by April 30, 2010, and interviews will be held in early June 2010.