Dear Geoff Goll,

 

My name is Catherine Freed, and I am a former Rotary YEX student from Wooster, Ohio. I'm not sure if you remember me but back in 2012, I was torn between going to Bowling Green State University on a 4-year scholarship that could not be deferred or going to Spain as a rotary exchange student. You did a huge thing for me in talking with a few people from BGSU to allow me to defer the award an additional year to go to Spain. If you did not do this, I would have not been able to study abroad as a Rotary YEX student. It has been nearly 13 years since, and I am incredibly grateful.

 

This deferral had such a huge and positive impact on my life. I learned so much in Spain as an exchange student. I made many friendships (some of which I still message on a weekly/monthly basis), became a fluent Spanish, and gained an appreciation for making the most of and seizing new opportunities. I entered college with a new found confidence and excitement that I would not have had if I did not study abroad. After four years studying biology and chemistry at BGSU, I got accepted into a graduate program at Virginia Tech to pursue a PhD in biochemistry. I am now a postdoctoral associate at UW Madison in the biochemistry department working to develop crops with a reduced need for fertilizer and create plants that can reclaim phosphorus from polluted environments. Moving forward, I am applying for assistant professor positions at midwestern universities to start my own lab, mentor the next generation of scientists, and create new crops to make agriculture more sustainable. This career path would have been very difficult or, perhaps, not possible in the current timeframe without your help and support in 2012. Thank you very much!

 

I hope that all is well and have a fantastic summer!

Sincerely,

 

Catherine