S-03

Suzi's Diary

2005-06 Ambassadorial Scholar Final Report

2005-06 文化大使獎學金學生

D3520 台北忠誠扶青團前團長張必輝 Suzi

I appreciate The Rotary Foundation gave me such a wonderful chance to broaden my horizons. It’s my pleasure to be a Cultural Ambassadorial Scholar between Taiwan and America. I’m assigned to study English in Denver, Colorado, USA. After three months of study sponsored by The Rotary Foundation, I have continued studying here two more months at my own expense. Now I have almost finished my responsibility as an ambassador of goodwill. I’m so glad to tell you what I have done and received from the school, the homestay family, the Rotary Family, and some activities I participated in.

The School

I am studying at the ELS Language Center at Johnson and Wales University (JWU). All the teachers and the staff in the office are warmhearted and help all the students. They provide us the perfect class and give us a lot of advice to solve any problem in our daily life. I take the Intensive English Program, from 9:00 AM to 4:05 PM weekdays. Those classes include reading, writing, listening, speaking, and introduction to American culture and life.

On December 9^th 2005, I received a certificate with honor after completing the Advanced Levels of the Intensive English Program. Now I continue studying in the Master’s Level, and I will finish my course on March 3^rd 2006.

I also joined the Mentorship Program and have an American mentor, who is a sophomore at JWU. We went to a movie, visited the aquarium, and had dinner with her family. We have exchanged a lot of ideas about life and study. Because of her, I know more about young Americans.

Moreover, I have made a lot of friends from different countries, such as South Korea, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and so on. In the beginning, I was so surprised that people came from different races with totally different conceptions. Through some communication and argument, we tried hard to understand others and became really good friends. My favorite time in the school is the lunch break because it’s a great time to practice English conversation and learn other cultures.

The Homestay Family

I live with a nice homestay family. My home mother is an elegant, well-educated, brave, and independent woman. She is retired. She always keeps everything in the house organized. When I had just met her, the first thing she told me was, “There is no rule in this house because it’s your home.” It was so touching, and I will never forget it.

At the beginning I had a hard time living in America. She helped me figure out every detail in life step by step. In my free time, we discuss any kind of topics, including politics, racism, American history, health insurance system, and so on. We are good friends. Sometimes we talk about the movies and books we like; sometimes we go shopping or visit some places together. She also introduces me to her friends and family so I have more friends in Denver.

In addition, I have had two roommates living with me in the same homestay. The first one was a boy from Taiwan too. Because we could use the same native language, he introduced me many interesting places in Colorado and told me how to adapt to the American life style. It was very helpful. After he went back to Taiwan, I got another roommate from Saudi Arabia. She is a sweet and open-mind girl, but it’s hard for me to imagine how special and strict her country is. We three women live together happily and love to chat all the time.

The Rotary Family

My host Rotary Club is Denver Rotary Club. My counselor is Mr. Lester Garrison. He is a kind, generous, and gentle person. He and his wife invited me several times to have dinner, join the concert, and visit the museum. He arranged three Rotary meetings for me to join my host club. The first one on December 1^st 2005 was a speech about the Inca in South America. The second one was a speech about the voluntary service of Red Cross on December 15^th 2005. The third one was the Christmas party on December 22^nd 2005. Denver Rotary Club is an old and famous Rotary Club. There are almost 400 members in it. I had never seen such a big one before. I was shocked when I visited them the first time, but every Rotarian was hospitable, and some of them talked to me very kindly and helped me feel comfortable to join their meeting.

I also met another Rotarian, Mr. Karl Berg, and his wife. They invited me to have a traditional Thanksgiving Day at their home. We watched the football game and had dinner together. With their other guests, we had a lot of fun.

I did my presentation at the LoDo Rotary Club on January 4^th 2006. Although I did not do it perfectly, it was a good opportunity for me to present outside the classroom and introduce my beloved country, Taiwan. I am grateful to all the Rotarians I have met in Denver. From them I have learned the true spirit of Rotary.

Furthermore, I participated the Denver Rotaract meeting two times. The first one was a discussion of the monthly plan on November 6^th 2005. The second one was visiting the Denver Zoo on November 20^th 2005. Because I am also a Rotaractor, I’m so glad to meet other Rotaractors in another country. They told me there are not so many Rotaract Clubs in America, so they were surprised that we have more than 40 Rotaract Clubs in Taipei, only one city. I’m proud of the development of the Rotaract Club in Taiwan. I think it’s a good example for other districts.

Some Activities

I always do my best to experience American life while I am staying here. I believe doing so will help give me real understanding. I watched the NBA game in Pepsi Center on November 2^nd 2005. The NBA games are popular in Taiwan, and many young people are crazy about the NBA stars. I watched the vivid game and felt American people’s enthusiasm and vitality.

I also watched the NFL games on TV. Before I came here, I didn’t know anything about football. Through watching the games again and again, discussing them with my friends over and over, I now know the basic rules of football. I also can understand why American people are fascinated by football.

On January 16^th 2006, I participated in the MLK Marade and tried to figure out the American dream. There were no international students except my friend and me. We listened to the speech, paraded, and saw a lot people. No matter whether they were black or white, they had the same idea to make Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream come true.

I watched the Western Stock Show and the Rodeo on January 20^th 2006. It was the characteristic of western life, and it meant the American pioneers’ sprit of no fear and overcoming any difficulty in the past.

Finally, the best benefit for me is that I have learned how to ski. People always say, “Come to Denver, you shall go skiing.” I like skiing. Because of skiing, I have more topics to talk about with my friends. American, Japanese, or Korean friends teach me how to improve my skill. With other friends from tropics, like me, we learned how to ski together. All of us have a good time during every ski trip.

In the Future

I have been a Rotaractor for five years. I am the president of my club in this year. I know the Rotary organization very well. I’m so happy to come to America, the home of Rotary, to feel the leadership and friendship. Before I go back to Taiwan, I’ll do some traveling in Chicago. I want to visit the Rotary International (RI) headquarter and realize how such a big non-governmental organization can work very well.

Then I will bring everything I see, I hear, and I know in America back to my country to share with my sponsor club and my club. At the end of May, I plan to invite other scholars with me to hold a Rotaract meeting together. We can share our experiences and encourage more people to apply for the program. I have contacted my sponsor club, but the date of my presentation in the Rotary meeting has not been decided.

I hope every year I can persuade at least one person to apply for the scholarship or join any Rotaract Club. The most important is, if there is any chance for me to serve the society, I’ll do it without hesitating.

My Suggestion

Although everything is fine while I have been studying in America, I suffered a lot of frustration during the process of my applying and preparing for departure. I believe RI and every district do their best to promote every program. However, it’s lacking a good connection among all districts or all clubs. It’s hard to see the success or the contribution of every individual work. There are still some people who have no idea or the wrong idea of Rotary. I think it will be a good way to link the whole Rotary Family and let everyone in the world knows who we are and what we do.

On the other hand, I hope the Rotary Foundation can translate all documents into different languages. There are many outstanding young people missing the chance to understand the world because they are afraid of English. The purpose of the Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship is to help people improve goodwill and understanding of the world. English ability should not be an obstacle to trying.

In my opinion, the detailed process of applying and preparing for departure also should be on the website in different languages. Now many sponsor or host clubs and districts are not familiar with those things. Sometimes both counselors and scholars are confused. We need more help to figure out every step efficiently.

In conclusion, I cherish the opportunity of studying and meeting people in America. All these experiences will be the worthiest memory in my life. Besides, my teacher in ELS Language Center always tells me not to give up studying English when I go back to my country. I promise I won’t because my English skills will help me a lot in my work. The long and colorful “vacation” during my job is almost ending. I have really received countless treasures, and have recharged my energy for life and work. Now I have more confidence to plan my future.