Profile of a Fellow Konza Rotarian

What Rotary Means to Me
by Cherlyn White-Conklin

Rotary International has been an important part of my career and personal development for most of my professional life. As a young, single woman who had moved away from friends and family for the first time, I joined a Rotary Club in Gardner, Kansas thinking it would be a good way to make business connections and find friends.

What happened, however, was much more than I expected: the Rotary Club became a family to me. I spent 13 years becoming a part of my fellow Rotarians lives and growing both as a professional and as a person. When I was ill and needed care, my Rotary family helped care for me. When I changed jobs, when I celebrated the births of nieces and nephews, my news was immediately carried to my Rotary family to share. I celebrated my engagement with Rotary, and most of my fellow Rotarians were with me on my wedding!

Eventually, I joined the Club’s Board of Directors to learn more about Rotary as an organization. The more I learned, the deeper my emotional attachment to our organization became. As I chaired committees and eventually became Club President, I strove to embody the traits I could see in my fellow Rotarians: trust, respect, responsibility, stewardship, and service.

Now, as a member of the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club, my family continues to grow and I continue to try and live by our motto: Service Above Self. Won’t you join me as we strive to make our community and the world a better place?