5. Nicholas Drushella
Sponsor District: 5100
Host Club: Cleveland, District 9600
Nicholas Drushella was born in the USA and graduated from the University of Oregon in 2012 with a Bachelors degree in International Studies and a concentration in Journalism. His minors included Spanish and Business Administration. His multidisciplinary education and volunteer work led him to pursue a career in conflict prevention through expanding educational opportunity in vulnerable communities.
Since 2013, Nicholas has worked as the International Development Manager for Imagine Scholar, a youth leadership program in Nkomazi, South Africa. In this role, he has served as a mentor and fundraiser. Additionally, he has placed an emphasis on connecting students with experiential learning opportunities and advocating for more equitable resource dispersion in rural communities. He became heavily involved with Rotary and spoke at over 50 clubs about engaging youth in proactive peace processes.
He is passionate about social justice and intercultural cooperation and communication. He plans to utilize the Rotary Peace Fellowship and the worldwide Rotary network to more effectively empower local agents and create change at the community level.