Renzo ANGELONI, GRSP Class of 2014-15, Argentina, sponsored by RC of Buckhead

This is a good time of year to take a look at your student’s “suitcase” to be sure that they have the things that they need to make their stay in a dorm a pleasant one. It is very easy to just recycle everything that your student from last year had, but it is a gift to your new student to take a look at what you have and throw out a few things that may have become worn out over the years. Some students take excellent care of the items in their suitcase, but others … well ... not so much.

Also, be sure to write your student over the summer before they arrive to be sure that there are no mis-communications about their arrival. You want as many people as possible at the airport to welcome them. As I look through the pictures of students over the 20 years plus that I have been involved with GRSP, it is fun to reminisce about how excited the student was to see so many American faces beaming at them with their welcome signs and flags. How wonderful would you feel, if you were met at the airport by so many people!!!!

For those of you with young children, invite your student to your home for a meal or even out to a restaurant with the kiddies. The students enjoy this and your children will learn about the world through the eyes of young people living the dream of spending a year in Georgia, but with remembrances of home.

GRSP: An example of international service among young people by Renzo ANGELONI, GRSP Class of 2014-15, Argentina

Have you ever experienced seeing more than 50 "ambassadors" from different countries under one roof; each trying to understand the differences and putting aside the eternal arranged politics, religion, nationality and race, just trying to make friends?

Bringing nations together since 1946, something like "bringing together nations since 1946, " is the slogan of the program scholarships GRSP - Georgia Rotary Student Program- being carried out by Rotary clubs in the state of Georgia (USA) for more than 70 years and has opened the doors to the world in less than 365 days.

It all began during World War II, when Rotarians in Georgia, mobilized to promote the ideal of Rotary international service through bonds of friendship and understanding, they began to wonder what they could do to help establish peace and make wars less likely. The answer finally came in 1946, when the whole world was beginning to see the light of peace and in turn a Europe devastated by war. It was the PDG William Watt of Thomasville (GA), who saw the need for praxis to bring the ideal mentioned in Rotary international service, to ensure a future of peace and giving value to those living desperate for the present. Will Watt had an idea, of course, it is focused on young people in whose hands rest the responsibility for the future without wars, and was to ensure that students from Europe aided for 1 year to the US to study in its universities, with the aim of promoting peace and understanding between different nationalities and cultures through education.

It did not take long and this idea was able to mobilize an entire state, and even though it began to be applied in Europe, over the years crossed borders to cover the whole world. The first group of students was only 4 and the latest edition featured more than 50 young people who were enrolled in the history list since its first edition until today reaches 3600 participants from different corners of the globe. A true symbol of openness and inclusion.

My history with this program dates back to 2013. One August night scrolling on Twitter, I found a tweet that read something like "opportunity grant from the Rotary Club of Georgia (USA) for international students". I had never heard of it, despite being part of the Rotary family some years ago. Clicking, I looked at the requirements, and decided to apply. It was a few days for the deadline of the call and required me to submit some documents and have the endorsement of a Rotary club or district governor. They were intense days, but thankfully I managed to submit all documentation in time with the support of the Rotary Club of Rosario and the district governor Carlos Prestipino 4940. After a few months, I had the honor of being selected and a few months later, with 51 young people from different corners of the planet, began my adventure in Georgia. In my case, I was selected by the Rotary Club of Buckhead in Atlanta, and completed my studies at Georgia State University, where I shared my days with four other GRSPeeps (as we call ourselves) from Denmark, Sweden and Colombia.

It is a daunting and too ambitious task to tell in a few words how I lived through this program, but I dare reduce to four aspects that I consider most important in the following lines, namely: multiculturalism, living in another country time, the acquired tools and a change of mentality.

Knowing people with stories to tell of all ages, creeds and nationalities, is one of the most captivating aspects of the program, and one whose impact one does not anticipate when it is postulated, but perhaps the most significant. This allowed me to form a network of friends with whom I keep in touch constantly exchanging ideas that inspire me to challenge myself and improve in different aspects; living abroad for an extended period of time, countless experiences and constant trips positively influence the way you adapt to new situations; As for the personal and academic development, I learned a lot in both aspects, constant presentations and new tools acquired during my stay did have more confidence in myself when expressing myself; Last but not least, and largely thanks to the strong international stamp program, began to see the world differently, more global perspective, although this is something that is not perceived at the time, former notoriously becomes post, and today I think that every situation can be significantly improved if bottlenecks and opportunities for addressing them are sought, as well as conflicts between individuals can be solved if the assumptions of what each side is doing are clear. All this was thanks to those visionaries inspired by Rotarian ideals of friendship and understanding, who managed to make this program possible and today constitutes a clear example of international service.

In my role of "program ambassador" (symbolic role that one acquires once finished) is my duty and pleasure to urge all those concerned to consult and encourage them to participate. Having talked extensively with my littermates and alumni we conclude that, while each experience is unique, different similarities lead us to share a sense of belonging. The impact of this experience is unmatched one and certainly sets the pace to continue in the coming years.

Finally, I take this opportunity to thank all those who made this possible, especially my family, the Rotary Club of Rosario, the PDG Carlos Prestipino, the Rotary Club of Buckhead (District 6900), Michael Stimpert and family (my hosts), Aadu Allpere (my Trustee) and in general all those who contributed to making my way through this unforgettable program.