2019-20 Scholar Alexandra Starry

District 6580 selected Alexandra “Alex” Starry of Bloomington for its 2019-20 Global Grant Scholarship.  The $40,000 helped fund Alex’s pursuit of a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany. Alex was endorsed by the Bloomington Sunrise Rotary Club and chosen by a team of 10 Rotarians from clubs throughout the district.  Scholars must present a plan of study and a career commitment that align with one of The Rotary Foundation’s six areas of focus. Alex’s area of focus was  “Economic and Community Development.”

Alex has an impressive record of service to others. At Bloomington High School North, where she competed four years on the varsity swim team, she was a lead organizer for “Hoosiers Outrun Cancer.”  As an undergraduate student at IU, Alex volunteered at “Pages to Prisoners” where she gave inmates an opportunity to express their artistic talents.  At the Crestmont Boys & Girls Club, she worked as a volunteer, helping students with homework and with forming relationships. Alex also was accepted into IU’s “Washington Leadership Program,” and she interned for then Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth for a semester.  After receiving a B.S. in Public Financial Management from IU in 2014, Alex served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa where she worked on education, health and economic projects to combat the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases in youth.

During her year as a Rotary global scholar, Alex was hosted by the Rotary Club of Berlin-Gedächtniskirche.  The prior summer Alex interned at the U.S. Embassy in Rome where, among other things, she focused on emergency food assistance and on financing for rural development projects.  After graduating from Hertie, Alex plans to gain more experience in non-governmental organization management, continuing to work on community projects in developing countries. Alex, who speaks German and Sesotho, also wants to work with foreign governments on policy issues that would improve the lives of every citizen no matter how small or poor the country may be.

People of Action
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Rotary unites more than a million people around the world. Rotary District 6580, based in Southern Indiana, consists of 32 Rotary clubs and more than 1,500 Rotarians. Rotary clubs in our district range in size from 12 to 200 members. Our clubs’ programs involve prominent leaders in every field, and our membership represents business and civic leaders of our communities and our state. Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
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District 6580
Noah Jager Selected as Global Grant Scholar
Indiana’s three Rotary districts select Cadet Noah Jager as 2024-25 Rotary Global Grant Scholar and The Rotary Foundation has confirmed Noah Jager as the 2024-25 All-Indiana Rotary Global Scholar. Noah recently graduated from West Point Naval Academy. The three Indiana Rotary districts chose Noah over five other outstanding finalists following January 20 interviews. Noah, endorsed by Bloomington Sunrise Rotary, will use the $40,000 award to pursue a master’s degree in International Peace and Security from King’s College London. Noah’s area of focus: Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention. After receiving his master’s degree, Noah will serve as an officer in the U.S. Army for a minimum of five years on active duty and three years in the reserves. In his first duty position, Noah will serve as a Military Intelligence Officer specializing in strategic intelligence. After serving in this role, he hopes to become a Foreign Area Officer (FAO), providing liaison with countries in an assigned region through policymaking, military cooperation, and community engagement. Later, Noah plans to return to Indiana where he will practice law and serve in the Indiana National Guard. Ultimately, he plans to address the needs of Hoosiers by serving in the U.S. Congress.
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