Grace Petrie chosen for Rotary Global Grant $30,000 Scholarship

 
Our Rotary District has a unique scholarship for students to pursue a master’s degree at an overseas university.  This year’s committee announces that Grace Petrie, nominated by Minneapolis South Rotary Club, was chosen for this $30,000 award.  Grace, a senior at Macalester College from Minneapolis, hopes to study community and economic development at the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Coura in Milan, Italy. 
 
Grace learned about the micro-lender Kiva when she was twelve years old.   At her urging, her family began making small loans to women in various parts of the world.  When Grace studied in Cali, Colombia as a Rotary Youth Exchange high school student, she saw first-hand the impact of micro-lending to women and the positive changes in individuals, families, and communities through these small economic opportunities.  This experience was pivotal in developing her commitment to global service and to Rotary.  Grace went on to study and live in Europe, to become fluent in several languages, and to expand her Rotary involvement through leadership roles in Rotex.
Grace plans to begin her studies in January 2016. 
For more information about Global Grant Scholarships in our district, contact committee chairperson Ellen Kennedy at kennedy@worldwithoutgenocide.org or 952-693-5206.
(pictured, l to r:  District Governor Tim Murphy, Grace Petrie, Past District Governor Jim Nelson, and District Governor-Elect Mark Hegstrom)