Sunday, June 27, 2010

The last 6 months...

I am so happy that I will be attending the MBA program at Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Belgium!

This process has Even though I applied for the Ambassadorial Scholarship over a year ago, my journey has really just been over the last 6 months.  I could go on for pages about this process - but I don't think that would be very interesting to you.  And if I start to be boring now, before I even leave the USA, I'm afraid I'll lose you to much more interesting blogs out there.

So instead I'll give you a quick summary of the last 6 months in my life:

*I applied to 5 universities and each one had a different application process.  All had essay requirements, some had phone interviews, and a few even had skype interviews.

*I took the GMAT and was happy with my score. Since I got accepted to each university I applied to, I know that schools were also happy with my score too.

*I had to make the difficult decision of which university to attend.  Each one I applied to was great but in the end I felt chose Vlerick because I felt the international experience, corporate partnerships, and location were a better fit for me.

*I have been spending as much time as I can with my family, friends and Rotaract clubmates.  I know I'll miss them all so much!

*I just returned from the Rotary International Convention in Montreal.  It was wonderful meeting up with my friends again and I can't wait to meet up with them in Europe!  I also was sharing stories with Yvette & Clemens, 2 other Rotaractors from Germany, who are Ambassadorial Scholars this year to Ireland and Australia, respectively.  It really is a small world afterall!

Hello family & friends!

I am so honored to be selected as an Ambassadorial Scholar by Rotary District 5960 (Minnesota & Wisconsin, USA) and proud to be sponsored by West St. Paul/Mendota Heights Rotary Club. The next year of my life will be so exciting and I’m looking forward to participating in this amazing program of the Rotary Foundation!

I have been an active member of the Rotary family since I joined Twin Cities Rotaract in the summer of 2003. Soon after joining the club, I began to take on leadership roles within the club and have served on the executive board ever since. I am currently the 2009-10 President of the club but my term ends on June 30, 2010. In the past, I have had other opportunities to travel with Rotary. In 2006, I was selected to be a team member on a Group Study Exchange and traveled to Rotary District 1860 in Germany. I also have traveled to the past 6 Rotary International Conventions where I have made lifetime friendships with Rotaractors and Rotarians all over the world.

I grew up in Veseli, Minnesota, a small rural town 40 miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, where my family and friends were all close. I stayed nearby for college and graduated from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls in 2002 with a double major in Accounting and Finance. I have been working in public accounting for over 7 years and for the past 2 years I have been working as a financial statement auditor and business consultant. Recently I was on a team assisting one of our clients with an initial public offering (IPO) for the NYSE.

I really enjoy what I do. I work with many different companies in a variety of industries and am able to work with a great teams of people. I also like working with numbers which is a very good thing for an accountant. :) My past work experiences have made me want to further my professional career. An International MBA program will allow me to expand my business knowledge, participate in a cross culture learning environment and will help me strengthen my leadership skills.

I am so happy to have Rotary International providing me this scholarship. Rotary is a large part of my life and has become a second family to me. During my scholarship year, I will be involved with the local Rotaract and Rotary Clubs. I hope to attend as many events and participate in as many service projects as my schedule will afford. I also hope to connect with the Rotaractors I've met at the conventions and continue our friendships.

Thank you for following me and I hope you are as excited as I am!

In Rotary and Rotaract Service,
Annie Marek