Creme of the Crop

Student-athlete receives prestigious Rotary Award

January 22, 2008

From left to right: Jonas Tenney, Sunrise Rotary Club president; Shirley King, director of academic advising; Katie Creme '08; and Dennis Kovacevich, Rotary District 7390 governor.

Katie Creme '08 can already answer the question, "What are you doing after graduation?" She received a $23,000 Rotary Fund Ambassadorial Scholarship to study at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in England for one year.

Rotary International is a global network of community volunteers that works to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational and cultural-exchange programs. Since 1947, nearly 37,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad through its programs, making it the world's largest privately funded international scholarship program.

Creme will pursue a master's degree in American studies.

"Studying in England just makes it more interesting," said Creme. For the scholarship application, she had to list five schools in three countries she'd be willing to attend; UEA was her first choice.

Carlisle club kudos

"I worked with Katie to focus her application and articulate her goals so they would be a good match for the goals of Rotary International," said Shirley King, director of advising and member of the local Carlisle-Sunrise Rotary Club.

Students applying for the Rotary scholarship submit, through a local Rotary club, an application, two letters of recommendation, a transcript, two essays and a list of activities. The district scholarship committee interviews applicants and recommends two finalists and one alternate to the national Rotary office, which awards the scholarships. Knowing how keen the competition is for these awards, the Carlisle-Sunrise Club is especially pleased to have nominated two Dickinson students who have been named Ambassadorial Scholars during the last two years.

In return for the scholarship, Creme, of Lancaster, will send transcripts and reports to Rotary International and give speeches about her experience at various Rotary clubs.

An American-studies major at Dickinson, Creme is captain of the track team, on the student-athlete advisory committee and a Dickinson representative to the Centennial Conference committee. She also held an internship through the Dickinson Semester in Washington, D.C. Over the summer, Creme's efforts in track and in class were highlighted when she was named a District II Regional Academic All-American by ESPN The Magazine.

A great ambassador

"Katie is a great person for the Rotary Ambassadorial graduate scholarship program," said King. "Her outgoing personality and genuine interest in those around her will serve her well living and studying in the United Kingdom. She will have an opportunity to meet a wide variety of community leaders while she serves as an ambassador for the Carlisle-Sunrise Rotary Club, Dickinson College and the United States as a whole. It is difficult to imagine anyone who could be more enthusiastic in building bridges of friendship and goodwill beyond our country's borders."

"I don't think coming out of high school you have the kind of [study abroad] support network offered at Dickinson," said Creme. "We have an abroad-program relationship with UEA. Dickinson expects that you can handle studying abroad, but they are also there to support you. The Rotary club will also be there for support."