Norma Jean Park was awarded the district 7390 Rotary Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Essex, Brighton, England, where she will earn a Master of Arts degree in Food and Development. The Global Grant award is valued at $30,000 with $16,675 from #7390 District Designated Funds and $13,325 from The Rotary Foundation.Becky Morgenthal, a member of the 7390 Scholarship Committee, prepared this report on the presentation given by Norma Jean at the meeting of the RC of Carlisle on July 21, 2022, at which Norma Jean described her journey from college years to her plans for graduate studies. Becky followed Norma Jean’s words as she shares this narrative.
As a 2018 graduate of Dickinson College, I knew I wanted a career in International Development with a focus on agriculture and the environment. This passion has always been there.
- I am the type of person who wants to feel certain before furthering my education and committing myself to a career. I knew the best way to be certain was to try out all potential career options.
- My first step was the Peace Corps, which had been a goal of mine since I was a kid. I applied to go anywhere and do anything. I was sent to teach English in Ecuador and thought that education was a career path I would like.
- Upon moving to a small pueblo in the Amazon Rainforest, I realized that what the community actually needed was help developing sustainable agricultural practices and building the capacity for eco-tourism. By listening to the community and shifting my goals, I began to see the interconnectedness of agriculture, the environment and rural livelihoods. This peaked my interest a lot more than the field of education.
- When I was forced to return to the US due to COVID-19, I decided to work on a small organic farm in Vermont, because I wanted to see what sustainable agriculture looked like at the smallest level. I figured if I want to promote sustainable farming in Ecuador and other places globally, I should at least know how to grow food from seed to harvest.
- As much as I loved the farming experience, I had not ruled out other career interests. I moved to Colorado to work at a non-profit reproductive and sexual health clinic. While working full time at the clinic, I worked part-time on a farm since agriculture was still a strong passion for me. While I loved helping marginalized groups access health care, I realized that my true passion is in empowering community development by strengthening food systems. This brought me full circle to what I had studied at Dickinson College.
- And after four years sampling various careers, I now know what I want out of a career. I am excited to go back to school to pursue my dream. I am exceedingly grateful to Rotary District 7390 for making this possible and I hope to contribute to the betterment of the world on completion of my studies.
NOTE: The scholarship for this outstanding woman is made possible by contributions from Rotarians to The Rotary Foundation.
Submitted by: Becky Morgenthal
Member, District 7390 Global Grants Scholarship Committee
Past-President, Rotary Club of Carlisle