Event welcomes visiting Rotarians with the goal to create new Rotaract Clubs
Michael Berndt
Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) hosted a Rotaract College and Community Expansion Initiative luncheon Friday afternoon, January 31, 2025, on the college’s campus in Rosemount, Minnesota.
Welcoming remarks were delivered by DCTC Rotaract Club faculty co-advisors, Brett Kolles, MA, English faculty, and Jill Frahm, PhD, history faculty. Dr. Kim Krohn, Lloyd Cambell, Natasha Grad, and Alexa Rundquist were introduced as visiting Rotarians who worked on the Rotaract Expansion Initiative.
Sharon Bloodworth
Several DCTC students and alumni gave two-minute elevator speeches describing Rotaract and offering reasons for strong student interest. DCTC and Inver Hills Community College President Michael Berndt talked about why community involvement matters. Sharon Bloodworth, 2024–2025 Rotary District 5950 governor, served as the event’s keynote speaker.
Click image to view Sharon Bloodworth’s PowerPoint
Attendees at the luncheon included:
- Loc Luong and Jennifer Myers, Study Abroad and Student Engagement Assistant Director and Exercise Science Associate Professor, Concordia University, St. Paul
- Sally Dufner, Communication Faculty, Normandale Community College
- Stephen Harper and Debbie Belfry, Northwestern Health Services
- Kimberly Swinney, Director of Student Life, Inver Hills Community College
- Ed Boeve, 2024–2025 Rotary District 5960 Governor
- Tom Gump, Aid to Rotary International President and RI Director Nominee
More about the event…
Brett Kolles and Jill Frahm
Brett Kolles reported that his most edifying experience at the luncheon was hearing current and former student Rotaract members talk about what the organization means to them.
“Each student articulated the community-service projects they were involved in, the relationships they developed, and the professional contacts they made,” he said.
Natasha Grad
Brett added that he had an exceptionally productive time working with the Rotaract Expansion Initiative Committee members, Dr. Kim Krohn, Lloyd Cambell, Dr. Jill Frahm, and Natasha Grad. “They are bright, creative, visionary, and pragmatic,” he said, noting that at least three colleges, Concordia, Normandale, and Inver Hills, are now seriously considering starting their own Rotaract Club.
Ahmed Hussein Ali-Wadad
“It was wonderful having our two past Rotaract presidents, Ethan Bessler and Natasha Grad, attend side by side with our current president Ahmed Hussein Ali-Wadad,” Brett said. “The energy level in the room was electrifying. It was a comfortably packed house!”
Tom Gump
Brett thanked Rachel Marzahn, interactive media coordinator in the DCTC and Inver Hills Strategic Marketing and Communications department, for putting together a beautiful video that captured the spirit of the event.
“Tom Gump, former District 5950 governor and Rotary Club of Edina/Morningside member, recently returned from Egypt and was able to attend the luncheon,” Brett said. “When he posted Rachel’s video on his social media page, it went viral. What great publicity for DCTC and Rotaract!”
Click image to view Rachel’s video.
Rotaract member perspectives
Jarred VanHorn
“Jill and Brett, your leadership and advisement has clearly been impactful—that was one of the best meetings or ‘pitches’ I’ve ever seen. The energy in that room was incredible. It makes it so easy to talk about Rotaract and what it’s capable of doing for students when we have such obvious examples of exemplary leaders.
“Shoutout to Ali, Ahmed, Natasha, Beth, Eli, Keenan, Thomas, Maddie, and Ethan for showing why DCTC is just different when it comes to developing leaders. I’m really proud to get to work on these projects with y’all.” ❤️
Jarred VanHorn
2023 DCTC Alumnus
Former DCTC Rotaract Club Member
2023 Dave Schroeder Outstanding Student Award Winner
Ethan Bessler
“Thanks, Jill and Brett, for a big part in putting this together. It was very nice of you to invite me to this amazing event, where we all shared our stories on Rotaract. I hope to see this club up and booming and like I said in the meeting, ‘…needing a bigger room next time.’
“I am also honored to show up when I can. Thanks for everything. It is just amazing how far we have come in the past three years from when I was sitting in Brett’s English class when we struck this idea of such an amazing club with amazing faces.”
Ethan Bessler
2024 DCTC Alumnus
Former DCTC Rotaract Club President
Rotaract Expansion Initiative Luncheon gallery
View more event photos by opening the DCTC Flickr album:
Rotaract Expansion Initiative Luncheon
More about Rotaract Club at DCTC…
A division of Rotary International, Rotaract Club at DCTC is made for students who volunteer as a team, plan activities and projects, motivate, inspire, and socialize. Rotaract’s core goals are to serve the community, create professional development opportunities for students, network with other Rotary Clubs by inviting speakers and mentors, be part of an international network of young leaders, and, most importantly, have fun!
The DCTC Rotaract Club elects a student board of directors that decides how to organize and run the club along with selecting what projects and activities to carry out. Elections are held each semester and director terms are one semester in length.
Keep up to date with Rotaract Club news, announcements, events, photos, and videos by reading the Rotaract Club blog.
More about Rotary International¹
Who we are
Rotary is a global network of more than 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 110 years, Rotary’s people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.
What we do
Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues. Our more than 45,000 clubs work together to:
- Promote peace
- Fight disease
- Provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
- Save mothers and children
- Support education
- Grow local economies
- Protect the environment
- Get involved
Our mission
We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
Vision statement
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
LEARN MORE…
Learn more about Rotaract Club at DCTC by contacting:
Brett Kolles, MA
English Faculty
DCTC Rotaract Club Faculty Co-Advisor
Dakota County Technical College
651-423-8395
brett.kolles@dctc.edu
Jill Frahm, PhD
History Faculty
DCTC Rotaract Club Faculty Co-Advisor
Dakota County Technical College
jill.frahm@dctc.edu
¹ SOURCE: About Rotary
Ahmed Ali-Wadad, DCTC Rotaract Club president
