District Partners With The Rotary Foundation to Provide Public Health Scholarship

Posted 
on Aug 01, 2014
 
The Rotary Foundation has approved a $30,000 global matching grant application submitted by our District on behalf of Rebecca Stein-Lobovits, of Northampton, Mass.  The funds will defray her expenses as she pursues a graduate degree in public health in Paris.  Stein-Lobovits shares Rotary International’s goal of improved healthcare in the developing world.
 
Thanks to District 7890 Rotarians and The Rotary Foundation, Stein-Lobovits will be able to pursue a Masters in Public health degree from the École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique (EHESP), in Paris.  EHESP is one of France’s leading public health institutions, with a dual role of education and research into public health and social welfare.
 
In a larger sense, the grant will enable Stein-Lobovits to follow her dream of, as she puts it, “tackling the world’s most critical [health] challenges” through humanitarian service.
 
Stein-Lobovits’ journey of service began at age seventeen when she volunteered in a small village in Ghana teaching English to primary school students.  “It was a deeply formative experience,” says Stein-Lobovits.  “[It] introduc[ed] me to the challenges of international development in action.”
 
Stein-Lobovits went on to major in international relations at American University in Washington, D.C., graduating cum laude.  In college she became passionate about access to healthcare as a basic human right.  After graduating, Stein-Lobovits interned and later worked for Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World), a leading international healthcare NGO.
 
“Pursuing global health has given me an outlet to continue my dedication to social justice,” says Stein-Lobovits.  “I’m inspired to learn why women and children suffer from preventable diseases, and what we can do to improve healthcare for these vulnerable populations.”  Stein-Lobovits notes that she decided to study public health at EHESP because of the institution’s focus on disease prevention and maternal and child health.
 
Fully half of the award came from donations from Rotarians in Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut.  The balance came from The Rotary Foundation, based on contributions from Rotarians in our District and around the world.
 
Upon completion of her Master’s degree Stein-Lobovits intends to seek a position with an international healthcare NGO as a monitoring and evaluating specialist.  The work would have her focusing on increasing organizational efficiencies and building sustainable models for better healthcare in the developing world.  “Ultimately, I aim to work directly with women and children, improving [their] quality of care and reducing their mortality from preventable diseases,” she said.
 
During her studies at EHESP, Stein-Lobovits will be affiliated with the Rotary Club of Saint-Cloud, in Paris.
 
“I cannot express how grateful and appreciative I am to District 7890 and Rotary for this scholarship,” said Stein-Lobovits.  “This grant will allow me to devote all of my time to [my studies].  I am dedicated to working very hard and giving back to the global community throughout my career.”