On January 14-15, 2020, Utah Valley University (UVU) Rotaract participated in UVU’s semiannual Club-Rush. In attendance with over 50 clubs, members of UVU Rotaract sought to raise funds, recruit new members for its activities, and to promote seventeen of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rotaract student members also spoke to UVU students to educate both about Rotary International (RI) and Rotaract’s role as a student club to contribute to the implementation in the state of Utah for the six areas of RI’s focus: promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies. 

In addition to myself, Rotaract members such as Albany Singh, Yana Andersen, and Jose Coreas were able to aid in our efforts at Club-Rush. All our members discussed their excitement about the opportunities, which our organization provides for professional growth and networking on a global scale,  with other UVU students attending Club-Rush during the two-day event.

Left: Kyle Warren (UVU Rotaract President), Albeny Singh (UVU Rotaract Secretary)

Using the student engaged learning  model (SEL), we worked jointly with our partner clubs, Foreign Affairs and Sustainable Mountain Development, which are united under the umbrella of the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at UVU.  SEL model encourages students to work on practical tasks as a group with faculty mentoring them throughout the process. As a result, over twelve students were present at our table. Each of them were happy to discuss our club’s implementation in a variety of UN-sponsored SDGs that Rotaract had been assisting, and would continue to assist in. We shared with UVU students how Rotaract members and UIMF successfully contributed to the 68^th UN Civil Society Conference in Salt Lake City during August 2019 and commemorated the World Polio Day at UVU on October 23, 2019. UVU Rotaract currently is preparing to participate and contribute to the agenda of the 64^th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which will be hosted by the UNWomen in March of 2020.  We were excited to discuss with UVU students our involvement and the efforts of our coalition to contribute to the implementation of the SDG #5 on gender equality with focus in particular on mountain communities and families during the CSW64 in the UN headquarters. 

Rotaract members were also excited to discuss the upcoming Pan-American Conference being hosted by District Rotary in April of this year in Mexico. With Rotaractors gathering from around the world, UVU students were interested in hearing about options to get involved in such a historic event. UVU Rotaract is planning on having a few of its club members travel to Puerto Penasco for this Pan-American Conference, and contribute to the many amazing events that will be taking place under the umbrella of the District Rotary.

Overall, Club Rush was  successful in achieving both goals to raise funds and gain new student members. With a large number of individuals signing up to join the team, we now look at our upcoming opportunities with excitement and anticipation. With all the good that needs to be done in the world, UVU Rotaract is excited to be the ones who are out there doing it.

Kyle Warren, President, UVU Rotaract

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STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAYS

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20-01-14-Megan-Davis-Promoting the UIMF Agenda During the 2020 Spring Semester Club Rush

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20-01-24-Yana Andersen-Rotaract at Club-Rush

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20-01-25-Samuel Elzinga-Utah International Mountain Forum Clubs Participate in UVU Club Rush

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20-01-24-Jose Coreas-Rotaractors contributed to UVU Club Rush

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20-01-31-Albeny Singh-Rotaract Club Rush at Utah Valley University

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