Ogden Honors College, international studies senior accepts Rotary Global Grant Scholarship to pursue graduate study in Northern Ireland

Ogden Honors College senior Marisa Terry, a native of Lakewood, Washington, has been awarded a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship in the amount of $30,000. The scholarship provides funding for students traveling overseas (outside of the US or Canada) for graduate school, whose intended area of study matches one of the Rotary Club’s areas of focus: peacebuilding and conflict prevention, disease prevention and treatment, water, sanitation and hygiene, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, community economic development, and the environment. 

Terry, majoring in international studies with a dual concentration in global diplomacy and Europe, plans to pursue a master’s of science in Leadership for Sustainable Development at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Terry discovered her passion for sustainable development through the Ogden Honors College’s Louisiana Service and Leadership (LASAL) Scholars Program. 

“Coming to LSU, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do with my degree. I considered law school for a while, but really only since it felt like the logical extension of getting a humanities degree. The closer I got to graduation, however, the more I realized that I didn’t want to be a lawyer,” Terry recalls.

“What I really wanted was to somehow combine my love for politics, social issues, environmental issues, and service. Through LASAL, I was able to focus these interests and gained knowledge and service experience that dealt with poverty and coastal land loss in Louisiana. This led me to sustainable development, both as a subject for my thesis, and as a path for graduate study,” she said.  

Terry initially applied for a Mitchell Scholarship, which funds a yearlong master’s program in Ireland or Northern Ireland, but was unsuccessful. She knew she wanted to study sustainable development in Northern Ireland, so she decided to apply directly to Queen's University and pursue funding opportunities afterward, which she found with the help of Director of Career Development Cindy Seghers. 

Seghers recognized that Terry would be a competitive candidate for the scholarship. “Marisa’s desire for graduate study abroad, her interest in leadership, in sustainable development and funding through the Rotary Global Grant are a perfect fit,” Seghers said. “I am certain this experience will launch Marisa’s career and enable her to make a significant difference in the lives of others. We are proud of her perseverance and know she will represent LSU, the Ogden Honors College and Rotary International in a most exemplary way.”

Terry is working on her undergraduate thesis on poverty in Louisiana examined through the lens of the UN sustainable development goals with Dr. Leonard Ray.  

As a recipient of the scholarship, Terry will participate in a partnership with Rotary Club, working with both her sponsoring club/district and the Belfast chapter to complete service projects under the “community and economic development” focus. She plans to work in the field of development practice to alleviate issues surrounding poverty and coastal land loss upon receiving her master’s degree.