MI Employee Selected Rotary International Peace Fellow

Marine Institute International Program Officer, Holly White has been selected as an incoming Rotary International Peace Fellow – making her the first person from Newfoundland and Labrador to be chosen for this respected, global program

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

As part of her fifteen month Fellowship, which begins in September, Ms. White will complete a Master of Arts in Peace, Conflict and Development at the University of Bradford’s Division of Peace Studies, one of the oldest and largest peace studies departments in the world.  

“I am incredibly excited to embark on my Peace Fellowship journey this coming September and am motivated to learn as much as I can and challenge myself all throughout the experience,” said Ms. White. “Upon completion of my Master of Arts in Peace, Conflict and Development, I intend to build on my passions for diversity, inclusion and leadership development, and with a combined interest in education and peace-building, I hope to conduct and facilitate the practical application of research in education in conflict, transitional and post-conflict settings.”

Ms. White has been with MI International since 2015. She holds a Master of Education (Post-Secondary Studies), a Bachelor of Arts (German), a Diploma in Teaching English as a Second Language and a Certificate in Leadership, all from Memorial University. Additionally, she has been the recipient of a number of local and national awards for her enthusiasm, skill and work in community building, leadership, student services and working locally with government assisted refugees. 

Ms. White first expressed her in interest in the Fellowship to the Rotary Club of St. John’s Northwest in 2015. From there, she underwent an extensive selection process at the district (Atlantic Canada) level which included her Fellowship application (approximately five essays, CV, club endorsement, academic and professional references) and an interview. Finally, she was reviewed from an international level. 

The Rotary International Peace Fellowship is a prestigious, competitive international program. In addition to the costs of tuition, living expenses, round-trip transportation and a three-month applied international field experience in an area of the Fellow’s academic interests, Fellows are supported by Rotary groups locally, in the UK and internationally.  

For the past fifteen years, 50 Fellows have been accepted annually into the Master’s program (at one of five partnering universities) and 50 into the professional certificate program. Ms. White is the first Fellow from Newfoundland and Labrador. Of the approximately 1000 alumni, only 50 have been from Canada. This year, including Holly, there are six incoming Canadian Fellows.