Students form service club

Submitted to the Optic

LAS VEGAS – As part of the global effort to promote peace and understanding, 14 New Mexico Highlands University students have joined with 12 Armand Hammer United World College students to form the first-ever local Rotaract Club.

Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for women and men ages 18 to 30. It is one of Rotary International's most significant and fastest-growing service programs.

Rotaract became an official part of Rotary International in 1968. Rotaract members work to address their communities’ physical and social needs, while promoting the ideals of friendship and service.

The local club is one of Rotary’s more than 7,000 Rotaract clubs in 163 countries and geographical areas. It will initiate new community service projects and work in cooperation with its parent club, the Rotary Club of Las Vegas.

The goal of the club is to:

•Develop professional and leadership skills;

•Emphasize respect for the rights of others, based on recognition of the worth of each individual;

•Recognize the dignity an value of all useful occupations as opportunities to serve;

•Recognize, practice, an promote ethical standards as leadership qualities and vocational responsibilities;

•Develop knowledge and understanding of the needs, problems, and opportunities in the community and worldwide; and

•Provide opportunities for personal and group activities to serve the community and promote international understanding and goodwill toward all people.

NMHU members include:

• Terese Akuma, an MBA student from Cameroon serves as club secretary

•Varel Allogokohgho, an undergraduate from Maryland majoring in sociology/anthropology

•Dante Aragon, an undergraduate from Santa Fe majoring in business administration

•Hyung Wook Baek, an MBA student from South Korea

•Michael Castellanos, an undergraduate from California majoring in forestry

•Lisa Esquibel, an undergraduate from Las Vegas, N.M. majoring in Spanish and biology

•Connie Golde, an MBA student from Cameroon

•Maria Leonela, an undergraduate from Venezuela majoring in biology and psychology.

•Jose Manuel, an undergraduate from Venezuela majoring in business administration

•Siben Ngalla, an MBA student from Cameroon

•Chris Riding, an undergraduate from Wyoming majoring in business administration.

•Rahul Sigdel, an undergraduate from Nepal majoring in biology

•Melissa Taylor, a sophomore from Honduras majoring in psychology

•Ngohmbi Ivo Wankie, an MBA student from Cameroon

United World College members work toward an international baccalaureate degree and they include:

•Luke Brennan, from Canada;

•Carlos Olivo Grandet Caballero, from Mexico;

•Marco Contrufo, from Italy;

•Natacha Madeleine Gonzalez, from Venezuela

•Sahil Joshi, from the United States

•Adrian Jul-Garca, from Spain

•Aldona Kasapacinskaite, from Lithuania serves as club president

•Carlo Pizzinelli, from Italy

•Gabriel A. Garca Plata, from Mexico

•Jukka Riitamaki, from Finland

•Diego Ramos Rosas, from Peru; and

•Federico Sucre, from Venezuela serves as club vice president