Greetings from Edinburgh! It’s finally starting to warm up in Edinburgh and it truly feels like summer is approaching! After a long winter, this is a welcome change! I’m enjoying the mild weather and beautiful scenery around the city. Sunshine in the British Isles truly has a way of bringing everyone together to enjoy the outdoors!
I turned in my final course assignment on May 7 th ! Working towards my Master’s degree has been such a tremendous achievement, and I’m really proud of how far I’ve come over these past few months. It hasn’t always been easy, but the growth and learning I’ve experienced has been phenomenal. I’m currently working on my dissertation. I’m really enjoying the process and am learning a lot - more to come on this!
This month was filled with Rotary/Rotaract events and volunteering. I had the pleasure of speaking at the Rotary Club of Edinburgh’s evening meeting earlier this month. I shared about my experience interning with OneGreenThing, an environmental non-profit based in the United States, and what we can do to help our environment! We had a great conversation afterwards, and it’s always such a pleasure to be involved with my host Rotary Club! As a Rotaractor, I’ve volunteered at a number of events this month, including litter-picking, trail maintenance, clean-ups at local care homes, plant sales, and more! We also received our Rotaract Club’s official charter this month, which was such a great feeling! I’m so proud to be the Secretary of the Rotaract Club of Edinburgh and to be working alongside such a great group of people.
As I turned 25 on May 13th , I reflected on what an amazing journey this has been. Living and studying abroad while furthering Rotary’s mission has been a truly transformative experience. I love what I’m studying for my degree and I love volunteering in the Edinburgh community. I’m really looking forward to continuing to serve communities through my involvement with Rotary and sharing the message of “Service Above Self.” THANK YOU to everyone who has made this experience possible!
Also, I wanted to give a special mention to Mr. Doug Laird and his wife Sharon, who visited Edinburgh this month and were able to meet me for dinner! Thank you to Michelle Bell for connecting me with Doug. It was a great pleasure!
Cheers! Ashton
Me with Doug and Sharon Laird
