An energetic meeting led by our Interact teens was last week’s highlight for the year of Youth Service.

 

In addition to introducing last year and next year’s officers, they provided an overview of the various projects in which they have served over the last school term.  These included the Rotary Leadership Summit, at which our team received 3^rd place for the most peanut butter donations; designing and building the Community Parade float which received the Grand Marshall’s Award; labeling and organizing the books donated for distribution at Safety Town and helping with the distribution. 

 

December included volunteering for the Salvation Army Angel tree, assembling 2,000 gift bags for distribution.  The holiday party included a White Elephant exchange and allowed for increased awareness of other culture’s holiday celebrations.  During the holiday party, Interact voted to split the funds raised by Rotary for the Nicaragua trip, for use of two members, Gabe ?? and Malorie McGruder. 

 

Prior to the Nicaragua trip, Interact teens raised funds and accumulated a variety of books and good need by Nicaraguan students and sent with the team that included their representatives. 

 

At Spring Fling, Interact received the award for most donated books, aided by Rotary donations.  The days’ service projects also included making cards for distribution at retirement centers in addition to sharing project ideas and activities with District 5810 Interact groups. 

 

The year was capped off by the Model UN team’s participation in the Rotary International Peacekeeping Conference in Chicago.  Our team was comprised of Arundhati Gosh, Zain Kalson, Marian Ma and was chaperoned by teacher Jarred Stewart, Model UN Advisor, and President Elect Dawn Cruzan. 

 

In addition to our Interact teens, this year’s three scholarship recipients, Arianna Akinwunmi, Ryan Short and Jaidan Turner, were introduced.  Aina Suzuki, the Rotary International Exchange student co-sponsored by our club, shared her background and life in Japan as well as the best parts of her year in Texas.  Aina comes from Oarai, a town which in 2011 suffered the worst earthquake and tsunami in Japan’s history and attends a school that is known locally for its baseball program.  While in Texas, Aina attended Lone Star High School, participated in softball and attended a Texas Rangers game.  She was hosted for first semester by Mark Heuchert’s family, and for the second semester, by the family of Krista Ryan, President-Elect of Frisco Sunrise Rotary.