Finding your passion

Reflections on 30 years of service.

After more than three decades in Rotary, Jennifer Scott reflects on the moments of service, friendship and global connection that have sustained a lifelong passion for making a difference.

Words Jennifer Scott. Rotary International Director 2025-27.

When people outside of Rotary ask about my 30-plus-year journey in Rotary – starting as an enthusiastic Interactor in high school, joining a Rotary club, being encouraged to become a club president, serving as district governor, and now in the role of Rotary International director – they often ask about my passion and what keeps me in Rotary.

When I look back, my truest Rotary memories are not defined by titles, but by moments of profound human connection. My passion is rooted in the quiet, life-changing instances of service.

I will never forget the first time I leaned down and placed two precious drops of the oral polio vaccine into the mouth of a five-year-old child in India. In that singular moment, the grand global vision of Rotary became beautifully simple and deeply personal. It was the realisation that we are not just funding initiatives; we are altering human destinies.

I was also privileged to lead a vocational training team of conflict management experts from across Australia to create social reform in Mongolia by upskilling judges and social workers in family mediation. This work helped drive legal and social reform, ultimately contributing to the creation of the Mongolian Family Law Act. Navigating complex legal landscapes to protect vulnerable families showed me the unique power of Rotary and partnerships. We do not just provide temporary aid; we build structural frameworks that allow communities to heal and thrive.

Closer to home, my family’s life has been permanently enriched by the Rotary Youth Exchange program. Our house has been filled with the laughter, cultures and stories of exchange students from Japan, the United States, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Brazil. Watching these young people grow, share their world views and become part of our family has been an absolute delight. It is a constant reminder that peace is built one friendship at a time.

So, when asked what my passion is and why I am still a Rotarian after three decades, the answer brings me back to the very beginning. I joined Rotary with a simple desire to make a difference in my local community.

What I found was a lifelong passion anchored in the enduring friendship of my club members. We share the same core values. We experience the same joy in giving back. But more than that, Rotary has granted us the extraordinary privilege of linking hands with clubs and countries around the world to tackle global challenges.

My roles have changed over 30 years, but my purpose remains the same: serving humanity alongside friends who feel like family.