July

27th   Jarrod Buys, Gabriel Fuentes, and Sarah Kaleghipour

July 27th: Jarrod Buys, Gabriel Fuentes, Sarah Khaleghipour - Camp RYLA

We will have 3 great kids who we sponsored for Camp RYLA come to speak to us. Two of them wrote us lovely letters:

"Mr. Duffy and Mr. Kellen,
 
Thank you so much for the opportunity in sending me to this camp. I can honestly say that it was life changing. I made so many new friendships and learned a lot about myself. I can not thank you enough for accepting my application. I can not imagine not being able to go to RYLA now that I have experienced it. I actually have had to work everyday since I have got back, but I finally got to catch up on my sleep today. :) I am excited to share my experience with everyone, and the 20th will be great for me. Once again thank you so much!
 
Sincerely,
Sarah Khaleghipour"

"Mr. Duffy,
 
I really appreciate all of the hard work you put into making camp RYLA be so fun. I do not think I have ever been to such a well run camp where everyone had so much fun and learned valuable lessons at the same time. I was worried at first that I would not have as great of a time because of my broken collar bone, but I was definitely wrong. I did almost everything everyone else did without a problem. I made so many more friends than I even imagined and learned things that I have never thought about before. The first night I got home from RYLA, I went and hung out with some of the people in my cabin group. Since then each day I have done something with someone from camp RYLA. My parents ask me things like what did you do with them at camp that made you so close to them and I respond with “ we learned how to listen to each other”. I really think that is one of the most valuable lessons I learned at RYLA among several others. Please let me know when I can come to talk to your Rotary Club. I have lots of memories and well learned lessons to share.
 
 
Thanks,
Jarrod"

July 24th: Meet the Troops!

Saturday a group of us went and met the troops as they came back from Afghanistan. It was a wonderful experience and we all had a lot of fun!

July 20th: Will Steffek, Rotary Youth Exchange

Will Steffek was born in Wisconsin, however, he soon moved to suburban Chicago where he spent the next 10 years. He currently resides in Plano where he has lived for the past 3 years. A recent graduate of Jesuit College Prepatory School of Dallas, Will enjoyed his high school years where he was a varisty athlete and an active member of various school organizations including Interact.

Not following the typical college path of his Jesuit classmates, Will will embark next month on the year long Rotary Youth Exchange to Taipiei, Taiwan. When he returns the following fall, he will begin studying International Business at Loyola University Chicago. He couldn't be more excited for the upcoming exchange and he is extremely grateful to Rotary for making the opportunity possible.