Junior Rotarians

Junior Rotarian Committee
Co-chairs: Andrea Bernardini, Tony Nam

Time: varies

Size: 30

Our Committee annually hosts 27 Junior Rotarians, students from the local high schools. This includes nine seniors from Pioneer and from Huron High Schools and three students each from Community, Greenhills and Gabriel Richard High Schools. Each student has been identified by the schools' counselors as having an excellent academic record as well as experience in community involvement. The students are invited at attend two Rotary meetings. A Rotary member picks up the Junior Rotarians at their high school and returns them after the meeting.

The first meeting the Junior Rotarians get their picture taken and are given a 10 minute orientation from a past president about the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor and Rotary International. There is a host for each Junior Rotarian who takes them through the lunch line, introduces them to other Rotary members and sit with them during the meeting. A resource person in the student's identified area of interest (e.g., law) is also assigned to each Junior Rotarian. The resource person also sits with the Junior Rotarian during the meeting and is available to discuss their profession.

At the second meeting, the Junior Rotarians are asked to speak for a couple of minutes about themselves and their interests. The same host and resource person once again provide support at the meeting.

Our committee has two goals: to award and recognize some of the best high school seniors in Ann Arbor and to promote and bring awareness to both the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor and Rotary International. We seek local media coverage of each of our Junior Rotarians in order to acknowledge their achievements and their recognition of being named a Junior Rotarian.

The time commitment is minimal. The three major responsibilities as a member of the Junior Rotarian Committee are to be a host, resource person and driver.