Mary Katharine Ludwig

Ambassadorial Scholar USA to Ireland

Final report

         When approaching my Ambassadorial year, I knew that I wanted my experience to be one that facilitated the acquisition of traditional, academic knowledge, as well as cultural understanding through new experiences, and now looking back at the past ten months, I am certain that I have gained much, both in and out of the classroom.

         Academically speaking, I feel this year has been a very valuable one for me. I studied law, specifically human rights and international law, at the National University of Ireland in Galway, Ireland. Focusing on public international law and the legal instruments to facilitate the protection of human rights across the world furthered my dedication to a career in public law. I also had the opportunity to study aspects of European Community law and policy, which provided a new perspective and insight into an area of the law that would otherwise have been foreign to me. I was grateful for the chance to study the law that governs international actions, as I believe it is crucial as we move into an increasingly connected world. I received first and second honors in my courses, and feel more prepared for my career in law school, which will commence this coming fall. Ultimately, taking legitimate legal courses this year solidified my passion for public law, and the contacts I have made and information I have received weighed heavily on my decision in regards to choosing a law school and a specialty within the law.  Next year I will be attending Loyola University Chicago for law school, specifically because of their Child & Family Law program, a decision that was influenced by the courses I took and volunteer organizations I became involved with this year.

         I have learned a lot about both Ireland and America during my year abroad. I think that oftentimes, when the language of a country is the same as one’s own native country, it is easy to overlook potential culture shock and fundamental differences. However, I have found that despite the similar language, there is much about Ireland that I did not anticipate before arriving. I have been encouraged by the focus of the Irish people on individual relationships and their roles within the community. I have learned through friendships and conversations of my own that Irish men and women prioritize life along relational, not work lines. I think this, in turn, enables people to devote themselves to causes that need a lot of attention, even if they do not fall within a particular job description. Ireland is also a country that is undergoing an extreme amount of economic expansion and it is easy to see this affecting the daily lifestyle of all generations of Irish people. I have been encouraged by the sense of community that exists within Irish Rotary clubs. It is clear to see that the men and women of district 1160 really do seek to embody all that Rotary stands for. Now is not a particularly easy time to be an American living abroad, as the nation’s foreign policy is under heavy scrutiny by the international community. This has given me the opportunity to look critically at America, the past decisions we have made, and our responsibility to work towards a safe and secure world. I am grateful for the questions I’ve fielded from Rotarians and fellow students about America, as they have enabled me to sharpen and develop my own opinions and encourage others to reconsider certain issues as well.

I believe that the nature of the ambassadorial scholarship and the way in which it automatically assimilates the scholar into the life and activities of Rotary makes it nearly impossible for a student to walk away from this experience without contributing to the overall vision of world understanding. On a personal level, I have participated in several activities and organizations that I hope have left people with a greater sense of hope and goodwill. I began volunteering with the Galway Refugee Support Group early this year, and the experience was one that has had a significant effect on me and, hopefully, on the children I worked with twice a week. This homework club, designed to provide constancy and support, performs far below its potential, the victim of genuine objectives with no practical application. I saw an opportunity to fuse my experience with effective American service groups with Irish vision for a more stable future for these children. I established classroom rules, met with each child individually to develop personal goals and bought simple supplies of crayons, markers, pens and paper. These very basic actions have made an immense difference for these children and have enabled me to reach out and help them. This experience has taught me that different backgrounds often do provide refreshing perspectives, and that innovation and change don’t always need to be in the form of grandiose actions. I have also come to fully appreciate the structure and accountability of a typical American service organization. My experience with the refugee children has only reaffirmed my commitment to child advocacy law.

All the hard work I had put into this group paid off at our end-of-the year celebration, when I had the opportunity to speak with one of my most talented but guarded students alone. Young Mobi from Namibia thanked me for the helping him, telling me that for the first time, he felt smart and was excited to work hard to achieve his goals in school. Not only did these children give me an insight into all the work that needs to be done to facilitate a better life for people living as refugees and asylum-seekers, they taught me that simple investment in the life of another can make a significant difference. I only hope they learned as much from me as I did from them. Aside from this organization, I took part in several Rotary events that touched the lives of many and spread the core message of Rotary. In particular, I assisted with a ball that was hosted by the Dublin Central club that benefited the Down Syndrome Society. In addition to meeting a number of Rotarians, I was able to spend most of the evening with three young girls who suffer from Down Syndrome, and help create a memorable and special night for them. Throughout the year I volunteered for a local homework club and also helped the local Rotaract club prepare for and execute a fashion show that raised over 30,000 Euro for the local Alzheimer’s organization.

One of the best aspects about my time as a scholar has been simple conversation in which the fact that I am an ambassadorial scholar comes up and it enables me to talk about Rotary and the scholarship program. When explaining Rotary for the first time, I always focus on service, pointing out all that Rotary has done to end Polio, to enable young people to see the world, and has ultimately provided a forum for understanding and peace in a world where conflicts arise and oftentimes there appears to be no avenue for cooperation. One point I always mention is the amazing network of support that Rotary provides, and people really are amazed to hear that any Rotarian can visit and be fully welcomed into another Rotary group, regardless of distance, language differences, or even countries with strained foreign relations. In my experience, the Rotarians I have come to know truly do uphold the values upon which Rotary was built in their daily lives, focusing not only on how they can impact their community and the world at large, but also by carrying out their business and career transactions in an ethical and fair manner.

As far as feeling prepared for this experience, I owe so very much to my sponsor club in Manhattan, Kansas, as I felt completely in-the-know before my departure. Not only did my club members put me in contact with the correct people in my host country, they also went above and beyond, by doing simple things such as printing business cards for me to hand out at Rotary events. I also cannot say enough about my Outbound Scholar Orientation that I attended in Kansas City in early March. This weekend did more to mentally prepare me for the challenges and rewards of the Ambassadorial year than any other pre-departure event or material. I spoke often about this orientation once in Ireland, and encouraged my own scholarship coordinator to implement something similar for scholars representing Ireland and Great Britain. The pre-departure materials also helped me feel comfortable with the transition and helped to organize all the critical details prior to leaving. Once I arrived in Ireland, my scholarship coordinator and host counselor provided me with all necessary information to enable me to travel about the country giving presentations and visiting various clubs and organizations. The one suggestion I might make is that in gauging the number of presentations given by each scholar, I feel it might be helpful if the foundation take into consideration the availability and proximity of the clubs of the particular country. In my case, I had to travel at least 30-45 miles one way to give a presentation outside of Galway. Ultimately I appreciated having to get out and experience parts of Ireland I might not otherwise see, but I also know that had there been more clubs nearby I would have given far more than the ten required presentations.

For future scholars, I believe the best piece of advice I can give is to get involved with Rotary in every way possible! I was able to attend my host club practically every week, and this had a huge impact on helping me feel at home and enabling me to get involved with service projects within the community. It is impossible to understand the generosity and kindness of Rotarians until you really dive into the organization and its events, and so I believe this is the best way to get the most out of the Ambassadorial experience. For me, this year has been life-changing, and I realize that Ireland, and in a more broad sense Europe, would have been an entirely different experience without Rotary. I have already encouraged several of my friends to look into the scholarship, as I truly believe in a scholarship that focuses not only on academics, but on service and work for peace as well. I feel completely indebted to Rotary for affording me this experience, and I wait for the day when I can repay the organization as a member. In the meantime, I am planning on becoming active in a Rotaract Club in the Chicago area while I am in law school. Also, I would love the opportunity to attend another Outbound Orientation to help provide some advice and insight to scholars who are preparing to embark on this incredible journey!