The Kingwood Rotary Club is very proud to announce that Thomas Méndez, son of Terri and Ricardo Méndez of Kingwood, has been named the recipient of a $24,000 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study abroad during the 2009-2010 academic year.

While away, Thomas will be representing Kingwood, Rotary District 5890, the State of Texas, Rotary, and the United States of America. He was sponsored for the scholarship by the Kingwood Rotary Club, and they are currently seeking applicants for the 2010-2011 scholarships.

Thomas attended Christian School of Kingwood, St. Martha’s Catholic School in Kingwood, and he was a 2005 graduate of St. Thomas High School.  Thomas was one of four students selected by Rotary District 5890 to receive a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, and he will be attending the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina in Buenos Aires, Argentina during his scholarship year.

Currently, Thomas is a senior at the University of St. Thomas in Houston where he is an international studies major.  

While at UST, Thomas has been involved in a variety of campus and community activities and was awarded an “Emerging Leader” award by the university. He is the current president of the UST Center for International Studies Micro-Credit Program.  He served as vice president of the Student Government Association and was a co-founder of the Student Organization of Latinos, and Vice President of Public Relations, Fundraising and Partnership for the Center for International Studies’ Micro-Credit Program.  He was one of eight university students chosen nationwide to participate in the Ford Motor Company- Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Leadership Program in Washington, DC.

Thomas recently traveled to Petac, Mexico with the UST Micro-Credit Program to meet with individuals that are living below the poverty threshold in an effort to help them start businesses with micro-credit loans.

"Typically, the scholarship recipients are chosen because the Rotarians believe the students will make good use of the knowledge and skills they acquire in their education, they are leaders, and that they will be excellent 'ambassadors' of goodwill and friendship between the United States and the countries where they will be studying", Kingwood Rotarian Tommie Buscemi said. "Thomas is a remarkable young man with a passion for making a difference in the lives of others and he will continue serving others through Rotary.  It has been an honor to get to know him and wonderful his parents.”  “Students from nine counties applied for these scholarships, and we are so proud that a Kingwood student was selected.”

Kingwood Rotarian Charlie Buscemi will serve as Thomas’ Rotarian Counselor assigned to help him as he trains and prepares for his ambassadorial scholar year.  During his academic year in Argentina, he will have a Rotarian Host-Counselor assigned to him by his host Rotary club in Argentina who will guide him in local ways and assist him while there.  As a member of their family of Rotary, Thomas will attend Rotary functions and community service projects, and visit with other Rotarians in Argentina.    

The Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship Program, the oldest program of the Rotary Foundation, has sponsored nearly 38,000 people from 100 nations to study abroad since it was founded in 1947. Today, it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program.

The Ambassadorial Scholar program is one of the many ways Rotary works to promote peace and understanding in the world.  The program focuses on humanitarian services, personal diplomacy and academic excellence. Applicants must demonstrate maturity and social skill; service and leadership; proficiency in the host country's language; a good rationale for study abroad and program options.

While abroad, Rotary scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations about their homeland. Upon returning home, scholars speak to Rotarians and others about their experiences in their host countries.

Four Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships are awarded each year by Rotary District 5890.  Applications are currently being accepted for the 2020-2011 Academic Year Scholarships.  If you are interested in applying, please contact Kingwood Rotary Club Scholarship Chair, Tommie Buscemi, via email at Tommie@kingwoodcable.net, or call her at (281) 359-7193.  

The deadline to submit applications is January 6, 2009 to the Kingwood Rotary Club, and the interviews will be scheduled during the winter break from college this month.  For the “undergraduate” level scholarship, students must currently be in their freshman year of college and will spend their junior year abroad.  All other college students can apply for the “postgraduate” level scholarship.  On their applications, the student chooses five study institutions, in five different cities, in at least three foreign countries that have Rotary clubs, and Rotary International will decide which of the five institutions the student will attend.

Rotary is a volunteer organization of over 32,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas.  The organization initiates humanitarian programs that address today’s challenging issues, such as children at risk, hunger, health, poverty, and illiteracy.  If you have an interest in being a part of this worldwide service organization, please contact the president of the Kingwood Rotary club, Robert Westover, at 281-358-0684.

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