1. Name of the Rotary program you participated in:
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship.
2. In what year(s) were you involved?
2002–2003.
3. Where was your exchange/program/place of study?
I studied for a Master of Environmental Management at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. My sponsoring club was the Rotary Club of Furnitureland in High Point, North Carolina, USA, District 7690.
4. How did Kenmore Rotary assist you?
Kenmore Rotary provided a warm welcome and a sense of belonging as I settled into life in Australia. Members offered friendship, local connections and opportunities to participate in Rotary activities and community service, making my experience much richer than study alone.
5. Can you recall names of your counsellor, host parents, host family members, etc.?
Geoff Haigh and Colin Melvin of Kenmore Rotary, and Marjorie Carss, along with Phil Little of Brisbane Rotary Club, were all incredibly welcoming and remain fondly remembered.
6. Do you have any special memories of your time associated with Rotary?
Highlights include volunteering with Donations in Kind at Wacol, a trip to Fraser Island with Gympie Rotary Club, and participating in the Rotary conference hosted by District 9600 in Caloundra in 2002 alongside Peace Fellows and other Ambassadorial Scholars studying at UQ.
Donations in Kind particularly resonated with me. Seeing donated hospital equipment, medical supplies and books gathered and shipped to communities overseas was a powerful example of Rotary’s practical generosity and of the value of giving useful resources a second life.
7. What was the most valuable aspect of this experience?
The scholarship opened up a whole new life. It gave me the opportunity to study in Australia, explore its extraordinary natural environments, and form friendships with local people and students from around the world.
Completing my Master of Environmental Management helped focus my career on sustainable development, while Rotary’s commitment to service reinforced my desire to contribute to the communities around me. The experience ultimately influenced my decision to make Australia my permanent home.
8. Where do you live now?
Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle, NSW.
9. Your occupation?
Waste Services Manager in local government, working in strategic waste management, resource recovery and the circular economy.
10. Any family details you wish to share?
I met my wife, Nathalie, in 2004 while she was completing her PhD at UQ. Nathalie is from France, and we feel fortunate to have made Australia our home, becoming Australian citizens in 2007.
Our son, Toma, was born in Sydney in 2013 and is now 13 and in Year 7. Nathalie is a speech therapist, working mainly with people recovering from strokes or brain injuries.
11. Do you continue to have contact with Rotary?
Yes. I occasionally attend Rotary Club of Belmont meetings through community engagement activities connected with my strategic waste management work across Lake Macquarie and the Hunter region.
12. Can you share some photos—your time in the program and your circumstances today?
I’ve attached a selection of photos from 2002–2004, along with some more recent photos of my family and life today.
13. A memoir of your Rotary-sponsored experience
A scholarship that shaped a life
When I travelled from North Carolina to Brisbane in 2002 as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, I expected an education and an overseas adventure. I couldn’t have imagined how profoundly the experience would shape my life.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Furnitureland (District 7690) and warmly welcomed by Kenmore Rotary, I completed a Master of Environmental Management at the University of Queensland. Along the way, I discovered Australia’s extraordinary landscapes (rock climbing and scuba diving extensively around the country) formed friendships across cultures and experienced the generosity of people who made a newcomer feel at home.
Some of my strongest memories are of service and fellowship: volunteering with Donations in Kind, visiting Fraser Island with Gympie Rotarians, and joining fellow scholars at the Caloundra conference. These experiences gave practical meaning to “Service Above Self”.
The scholarship helped focus my career on sustainable development, initially in the built environment and later in local government waste management, resource recovery and the circular economy. Today, my work at Lake Macquarie City Council helps communities reduce waste, recover valuable materials and support markets for recycled products. It’s rewarding to help turn environmental goals into practical benefits for residents.
That commitment extends beyond work. At our local sailing club, I help run junior sailing and Duke of Edinburgh programs, supporting young people to build confidence and skills. I also helped establish and continue to administer a sponsorship program supporting children at Good Hope School in south-western Uganda, founded by a friend. Having spent time there over the years, I’ve seen how support for food, shelter and education can make a lasting difference. The need remains great, and connections through Rotary would be warmly welcomed: www.goodhopeschool.org.
Australia also became home. I met my French wife, Nathalie, at UQ in 2004. We became Australian citizens in 2007 and now live in Lake Macquarie with our son, Toma (13).
My advice to future Rotary scholars is to embrace more than the academic opportunity: build friendships, get involved and remain open to where the experience might lead. Rotary’s investment in one person can continue to benefit others for decades.