Seminar inspired Interactors
PUTNAM — Local students who attended the Rotary World Affairs Seminar told the Putnam Rotary Club the experience was “life changing.”
The Putnam Rotary Club sponsored the students who first attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), a leadership development program for young people offered by Rotary International. The RYLA program aims to build the next generation of leaders by providing training in leadership skills, ethical decision-making, and community involvement. The RYLA program is one of the Putnam Rotary Club’s strong suits.
At RYLA, the local students were chosen by their peers to go on to the World Affairs Seminar (WAS) in Wisconsin.
Anthony Beaudreault, a senior at Woodstock Academy, talked about the project his team worked on at WAS, conservation. He feels strongly about conserving our resources and has started collecting bottles for various causes, one being “Save Long Island Sound”. He said the encouragement at WAS inspiring.
Paige Perry, senior at Putnam High and Interact Club co-president, also spoke positively about her experience at the WAS. Her team worked on a food drive project. Food insecurity/food drives are an important goal for this year’s Interact Club. The Interact Club intends to hold food drives in this area to support local food pantries.
Gabriell Cerasiello, a senior from Putnam High and Interact co-president, spoke about their upcoming Interact year. The Interact Club’s long-standing tradition of Salvation Army bell ringing fund-raiser near the holidays is near and dear to her heart. She also said Interact will be participating in the Scarecrows contest, Ice Sculptures and Relay for Life, as well as the food drives.
Isabell D’Alieva-Bochain, a senior at Woodstock Academy, sent the Rotary Club a message with thanks for sending her to WAS.
The Interact students then presented Rotarian Karen Osbrey, president of the Interfaith Human Services of Putnam, a check from the Interact Club for $200 for IHSP’s Daily Bread food pantry. Osbrey thanked the Interact Club on behalf of Daily Bread.
For more information about the Putnam Rotary’s Interact Club contact Roberta Rocchetti at:
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Donation
From left: Interactors Anthony Beaudreault, Gabriell Cerasiello, Paige Perry, Rotarian and Interact Club Adviser Roberta Rocchetti, and Rotarian and IHSP president Karen Osbrey. Linda Lemmon photo.