Markowitz jumpstarts Pellissippi Rotaract Club

Tom KingFarragut

Stephanie Shipley Markowitz has re-launched the Rotaract Club at Pellissippi State Community College (PSCC), and the members are already participating in service projects to fulfill Rotary International’s motto, “Service Above Self.”

The PSCC club is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Farragut (RCF), and on March 23 Markowitz was inducted into RCF as a new member. Her sponsor is RCF President David Bluford. Markowitz is an instructional technology specialist at Pellissippi State who provides faculty support in online teaching and learning. She explains why she wanted to be faculty adviser for Rotaract:

Stephanie Shipley Markowitz

“This was my chance to be a part of the bigger picture and to help students in achieving their goals and dreams. At Pellissippi we have six values that we follow, two of which are centered around community and civic engagement and relationships. These two values perfectly align with Rotaract. I knew that I had to take my love for volunteerism and service to the next level and share it with the students at Pellissippi.”

If you’re not familiar with Rotaract clubs, here is a description: Rotaract brings together people ages 18 and older to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service. In communities worldwide, Rotary and Rotaract members work side by side to take action through service.

Two nights ago, Markowitz and five of her Rotaract members worked at RCF’s service project with Laundry Love at The Wash House on Kingston Pike. Farragut Rotarians and the Rotaract members were helping families with economic/financial problems do something most of us take for granted – washing and drying their clothes, bed linens and anything else they had. Laundry Love, a non-profit, provides all of the quarters, laundry detergent and dryer needs free to the families.

The PSCC Rotaract members working were Emily Lorch, Fabrice Kanda, Elizabeth Menard, Cam Lloyd, and Louise Niyogushima. Niyogushima also worked at the recent World Rotary Day project at Vine Magnet Middle School.

“The Rotaract students and Stephanie worked hard and really made a difference Tuesday night,” said Val Privett, RCF vice president. “This club is already making a difference and it’s fun to work with them.”

If you would like more information about the PSCC Rotaract Club, you can email Stephanie Markowitz at stephaniesmarkowitz@gmail.com or text her at 865-207-2990.

To explore membership in the Rotary Club of Farragut, call 865-659-3562. Farragut Rotary meets each Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. at Fox Den Country Club.

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