Meghan Posey
2006-07 Ambassadorial Scholar
Sponsored by St Paul Sunrise Rotary Club
Assigned Study Institution:
Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (Heredia)
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Language Proficiency: English, Spanish, and Portuguese

Undergraduate degree: BA, Spanish, Small Business Management, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN

Current job position: Immigration legal assistant; Centro Legal, Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota; a nonprofit community law office whose mission is to represent, educate and advocate for the low-income Latino community of Minnesota who are marginalized due to language, culture and economic barriers; I navigate clients through the complex immigration system, helping them fill out forms, apply for different relief such as permanent residence status, or Temporary Protected Status and serve as their interpreter at interviews.

Furthering Rotarys mission: I see a correlation between studying Spanish and furthering Rotarys mission of world understanding and peace, for Latinos now make up the largest minority group in the United States. The United States needs bilingual citizens who are culturally sensitive, citizens who are interested in building community. Being a Rotary scholar will allow me to continue to serve as a bridge between two cultures. Immersed in a Latin American country, I will be better able to understand the Latino culture, soak in the depth of their culture and the beauty of their language to increase my language proficiency.

Future plans: Continue to work with Latino immigrants as they assimilate to the American way of life, by empowering them with knowledge and access to resources. If given the opportunity, I plan to apply to law school and continue to advocate for systemic change that facilitates justice for the poor and oppressed.

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