Originally, I planned to use this site as a tool to keep in touch with friends and family while studying abroad in Ireland.  In fact, I was a bit embarrassed by the vanity associated with having my own web site; however, I decided that a web site would be the most efficient way to share photographs and updates with everyone at home.  Much to my surprise, my site has proved more popular than I ever intended or imagined.  Since its inception I have had more than a thousand visits to my site, and I am receiving messages from friends and strangers around the world - literally!  So far, Gloria (in GuangZhou, China) receives the award for communicating from farthest away! In order to accommodate a wider audience of new and old friends, I have decided to embrace vanity and create an autobiography page.  My intention is to clarify who I am and what I am doing in Ireland.  So unless you are an identity thief, enjoy the short version of the first 25 years of my life! In 1981, I was born the middle child in a family of three daughters, and raised by exceptionally supportive, brilliant parents in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.  My hometown, also the birthplace of General George C. Marshall, is a rural area located in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania.  My parents still live in Uniontown where they are   graciously caring for my Hemingway cat, Cooper, in my absence.   I attended Geibel Catholic High School, where I enjoyed playing basketball for the WPIAL champion Lady Gators.  I went on to graduate from Washington & Jefferson College, a small liberal arts institution that touches students' hearts with its talented faculty and enriching community.  Next, I enrolled in law school in Cleveland, Ohio - home of the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame and Case Western Reserve University.  At Case, I have had several extraordinary experiences to include studying international law in Florence, Italy, externing for a federal judge, and working alongside 2005 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Michael Scharf with the Prosecutor's Office for the Iraqi High Tribunal.   While studying law in Cleveland, I had the good fortune to get involved with the local Rotary Club.  To make a long story short, Rotary District 6630 awarded me a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship.  As an Ambassadorial Scholar, Rotary has given me the opportunity to study for the 2006-2007 academic year in Galway, Ireland.  I have taken a year-long leave of absence from law school, and am pursuing an accelerated   masters degree in economics at the National University of Ireland.  I will return to Case School of Law in Fall 2007 to finish my legal studies.     I am one of more than 1,000 students worldwide to receive a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship this year, which provides funds for transportation, tuition, fees, room, and board. This scholarship program is designed to promote international understanding and goodwill.  As such, I am required to speak to Rotary clubs and districts, schools, civic organizations, and other forums where I serve as an “Ambassador of Goodwill" from one Rotary district to another. At the very least, I have been presented with a grand opportunity to develop my speech writing and public speaking skills.  At best, I am going to have the time of my life (smile)! I am unspeakably grateful to the Rotarians worldwide whose generous contributions have made this experience possible.  Thank you for your continued faith that the students who are Ambassadorial Scholars today will be tomorrow's community and world leaders.