My Rotaract journey: How I grew as a leader

Taylor Huie, Rotaract and Rotary clubs of Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA —

I often joke that at 26 years old, I’ve been a member of Rotary for 27 years. Coming from a Rotary family means, quite literally, growing up through this organization. I feel fortunate to be able to check several “Rotary experience” boxes including child of Rotarians, Interact alumni, RYLA alumni, and host sibling to several Rotary Youth Exchange students. But it wasn’t until I became a member of Rotaract back in fall of 2018 that I truly understood what it meant to be a member of this amazing organization.

My journey with Rotaract started with founding a university-based club in North Carolina (just a couple of hours from the birthplace of Rotaract). I learned very quickly that starting, growing, and sustaining a brand-new university-based Rotaract club comes with its unique set of challenges. But each of those challenges opened the door to a learning opportunity. To highlight a few:

1. My generation grew up in the digital era, with a million experiences and connections vying for our attention. My first challenge was learning how to explain Rotaract to my peers in a way that elevated it above the noise of every other club on campus or experience we could connect to virtually. What’s more is that just about every new member joined my Rotaract club for a different reason, highlighting to me the importance of appealing to different people for different purposes. I learned brand marketing and the importance of understanding the customer.
2. At 19 years old, I had never run (or even attended) a formal board meeting. I had to learn quickly how to organize a leadership team, lead effective meetings, and influence without any real authority. Club meetings became my consistent practice for public speaking – something that, at the time, made me very uncomfortable. I learned how to be a kind, but strong leader.
3. The international connections that come with Rotary and Rotaract club membership are unmatched. Each of those connections and partnerships through my Rotaract experience brought a greater appreciation for the diverse world around us. And as emerging leaders, it highlighted the role we have in building global partnerships. I learned the power of global friendships in driving cultural appreciation and peace.

What’s most important is I don’t think these experiences are unique to me. So many Rotaractors learn to lead through their Rotaract experience. For many, Rotaract is more than just an avenue for service and friendship – it has been a personal and professional growth journey. It is a largely risk-free platform for emerging leaders to discover their leadership style and practice skills they’ll be able to use throughout their life, career, and remaining Rotary journey. Rotaract is a safe space to develop invaluable leadership skills, learn how to impact change beyond yourself, and develop a deep sense of social responsibility.

I see Rotary International continuing to lean into that focus on leadership development. At our core, we are both a membership organization and a service organization.

Service, we do incredibly well – from local projects to global grants to eradicating polio. Membership, in some regards, we’re still figuring out. But one consistent message I’ve heard through my many Rotary connections and travels is our members (Rotary and Rotaract alike) are craving leadership development opportunities. And that’s something Rotaract has done really well over the years.

Just as collaboration increases the impact of our service projects, partnership between Rotary and Rotaract clubs elevates everyone’s membership experience. And as a dual member of Rotary and Rotaract, I get the privilege of experiencing both sides of these partnerships. Rotarians serve as invaluable mentors, offering guidance, resources, and opportunities for joint service initiatives. Likewise, Rotaractors bring energy, fresh ideas, and global expertise that enhance Rotary’s reach and impact.

In reality, the future of Rotary International requires support from everyone. It requires parents and their school-aged children getting involved through young leaders programs. It requires emerging leaders having enthusiasm to take on Rotaract leadership roles. It requires current Rotarians and Rotaractors offering mentorship and support to newer clubs and members. And, most importantly, it requires all of us being open to change and embracing the ideas of our newest members.

I look forward to the future of our organization as Rotarians and Rotaractors continue to influence positive change in ourselves, in our communities, and around the world. 

Taylor Huie is a Medical Device Design Engineer at Stryker Instruments in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. She serves as vice chair of Rotary International’s Membership Growth Committee and president of the Rotary Club of Kalamazoo. She is also an active member of the Rotaract Club of Kalamazoo and serves on leadership with Ascension Rotaract Network MDIO, supporting Zones 25B, 28 through 34.

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https://blog.rotary.org/2025/03/11/my-rotaract-journey-how-i-grew-as-a-leader/