“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” – Aesop Fables

 

“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” – Leonard Bernstein – 1918-1990 – Conductor-Composer-Pianist

 

“How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.” – Florence Nightingale – 1820-1910 – Social Reformer-Founder of Modern Nursing-Organized Care for Wounded Soldiers at Constantinople

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

 

 

December 16 – Holiday breakfast with music by Mike Lloyd.  Bring a wrapped white elephant gift.

 

December 23 – No meeting

 

December 30 – Zoom Social

 

Jan. 15 – Feeding Our Kids – 10 AM to Noon

 

Feb. 8 – Books to Prisoners, 5-6:30 PM

 

Feb. 23 – Karaoke fundraiser

 

 

 

PROGRAM

 

Mary introduced Ellen Miller, an Ambassadorial Scholar who went to Senegal with our own Ambassadorial Scholar Shannon O’Rourke Kasali.   Ellen grew up in St. Charles, Illinois.   Her family hosted Rotary Exchange Students and Ellen was herself a Youth Exchange to Brazil in 2000-2001.  She received a BA in International Studies from DePaul and an MA in International Human Rights Law from the American University in Cairo, Egypt.  

 

Rotary took Ellen out of her comfortable suburban life.   Her year as an exchange student was “the best year of her life”.   She had 6 new parents and 6 new siblings.   She danced and became fluent in the language.  While in Brazil, she visited Victor Martinez, her former host brother from Argentina.   After 11 months, she “didn’t want to come home”.    Next, she studied International Studies and Cultural Anthropology at DePaul and did two studies abroad, one in Spain and one at the Mexican border where she witnessed the disparities between the US and Mexican sides of the border.   

 

Her first job out of college was with World Relief in Chicago.   She left that job which she loved to become a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Descartes, Senegal.   Ellen remembers that her Rotary sponsor told her that the money they were giving her would be enough to build a well that would provide water for 5,000 people for the rest of their lives.   Instead, Rotary was giving the money to her as an investment in the future.  As an Ambassadorial Scholar, Ellen learned French and met Ambassadorial Scholars from around the world.   

 

Ellen spent two and a half years in Cairo and was there during the Arab Spring.   She had a downtown apartment in the middle of the revolution.  The US government offered to evacuate her to Turkey but would not provide any additional support.    Her then boyfriend’s family took her in and for the first time in her life, she felt like a refugee herself.  

 

After completing a graduate diploma in Psychosocial Community based Interventions, Ellen left Egypt.  She then worked contractually as a UN child protective officer in Central America.  During this time, she met Victor again.   Ellen returned to Chicago and began working for the Heartland Alliance National Immigrant Alliance as a pro bono manager.   She connects legal consul with clients who need help with the immigration process.    Ellen also volunteered as a mentor to girls in the foster care system. 

 

In April, after having known each other for 22 years, she and Victor were married.   To be with her new husband, Ellen moved to Tijuana, Mexico.   They are living just 14 miles from San Diego and 1k from the border, but her husband cannot cross it.   To apply for an immigrant visa, Victor must be vetted.   This includes extensive documentation and an interview.   However, the last U.S. administration laid off so many consulate staff that the wait for an interview is at least 10-12 months.   She is dismayed by the immigration policies of the current as well as the last administration.   

 

Ellen said that Rotarians are active in Tijuana.  They donate supplies to the shelters for refugees in the US and for those who must remain in Mexico.   At this time of year, Ellen asked us to remember that the holy family were once refugees just like the refugee families at our border.     

 

Mary asked Ellen what we as Rotarians can do to support the causes that are important to her.   She gave the websites for two organizations, www.immigrantjustice.org and www.foster-progress.org.

 

Ellen thanked us for the opportunity to speak and said that Rotarians give her hope for this world.

 

—

 

  Dec 16th Dec 23rd Dec 30th Jan 6th
Introductions Michelle Barbey No No Eddie Bridges
Reflection Ed Perry morning morning Oktay Baran
Greeters Michelle Barbey meeting. meeting. Eddie Bridges
Scott Paceley Happy Evening Jerry Payonk
Notetaker Perry Holidays! social. Hodson

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

 

December 16th – C-U Sunrise Rotary Annual Holiday Party

December 23rd – No morning meeting. Happy Holidays!

December 30th – No morning meeting.  Evening Zoom social instead.

January 6th – TBD

January 13th – Dr. Kristin Hoganson, the Stanley S. Stroup Professor of United States History at UIUC will discuss her book, “The Heartland: An American History” (Tom)

January 20th – Jeremy Greer will discuss his epic 212 mile hike of the John Muir Trail (Ondine)

January 27th – Brant Houston, Professor and Knight Chair in Investigative & Enterprise Reporting, UIUC (Bob)

February 3rd – TBD 

February 10th – TBD (Cary)

February 17th – TBD (Charlie)

February 24th – TBD (Joe)

March 3rd – TBD 

March 10th – TBD (Mary)

March 17th – TBD (Ondine)

March 24th – TBD (Tom)

March 31st – TBD

April 7th – TBD

April 14th – TBD (Bob)

April 21st – TBD (Cary)

April 28th – TBD (Charlie)

May 5th – TBD

May 12th – TBD (Joe)