Your vote changed their lives

Your vote changed their lives: United Miles recipients share their stories

Because of your votes, Rotary received 3.3 million miles from United Airlines’ 10 Million Charity Miles giveaway last year, and those miles sent students from around the world on unforgettable yearlong exchanges. Certified districts selected exceptional candidates with financial need to receive miles covering their round-trip airfare. Monique, a student from a Native American pueblo in New Mexico who was selected for an exchange in Brazil, acknowledges, “Throughout my life, I have had to overcome many obstacles that have made me the person I am today.” Maia, who is studying in Ecuador, says that “in a family of six, my options for travel have been rather limited.” Despite the challenges, these charismatic, intelligent, and optimistic exchange students all agree that their time abroad will be the beginning of a lifelong journey of cultural discovery. “I know I’ll be bringing the world together in understanding,” says DeWayne, who realized his dream to travel from his home in Arkansas, USA, to Italy. Mayra, who will be the first person in her family to attend college and who is a role model to three younger siblings, believes this kind of experience is what moves people “to eradicate diseases, build communities, fight famine, and create lasting changes.”
 
Your vote in this year’s United Charity Miles giveaway, in December, could help change the lives of more deserving students. Check back at www.rotary.org for more details and to cast your vote!

Also, consider donating miles to provide free airfare for people in need of lifesaving surgery and for other worthy causes.