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Hillel at UCLA was not available today, so we met at Persian Gulf. President Steve was absent - frolicking with Marsha in Paris - so P.E. Ben Fisher was our president for the day. Folks, have no fear for the club in Rotary Year 2024-2025 - we will be in very good hands.
Today’s speaker was Frances Hardy from Ready to Succeed (“RTS”) who also spoke to the Club last year. One of RTS’s program is where Scholars join RTS during their sophomore, junior or senior year and remain in the program throughout their first year of full-time employment. Each scholar receives personalized career and personal development coaching, access to an extensive professional network, paid internship experiences, and annual scholarship funding to cover basic needs. Frances began with a story of a college applicant by the name of Natalie Guevara-Choto. Natalie rose from being a foster child to now sitting on the RTS Board as “Opportunities Advisor”.
RTS is a career & personal development program that provides youth impacted by the foster care system or, low-income first-generation college students with resources, relationships, and opportunities they need to thrive, both personally and professionally. They offer different programs to these college bound students such as, “Project Dorm Room,” where you can “adopt” a student and help them move into the dorm with all the necessary supplies, bedding, and furniture they need. Most of these low income/foster care youth arrive at college with truly little, so anything provided to help them is appreciated.
How can Rotary get involved? Provide mentorship, be an advisor or supportive friend of a student to help guide tomorrow’s leaders. Provide supplies or funding for everything a new student needs to move into their dorm room and volunteer to help move the student in. RTS also looks for paid internships so if your company offers one, consider contacting RTS and supporting their cause.
You can learn more at the organization’s website at readytosucceedla.org. or email Frances (the Director of Development and Partnerships) at frances@readytosucceedla.org.
Thank you to Bill Roen who led us in the pledge, and PP Ed Gauld picked the Notre Dame Victory March for our musical interlude. (Rumbling in the audience about this selection except from PP Diane who cheered and yelled “GO ND”!!
PP Mark Rogo introduced our almost new members, Janet Schwartz, and Jerry Bergstein. By motion made and seconded (but somehow not voted upon) the 15-day wait period was to be suspended, but PP Gordon Fell asked whether PE Ben was aware of Robert’s Rules of Order. In any event, we warmly welcome our newest members.
Being a stickler for time, PE Ben rang the end-of-meeting-bell right at 1:30pm.
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