The McCormick Ranch Women’s Association has selected the Inaugural Scottsdale-Killarney Student Golf Exchange launched by Scottsdale Sister Cities as one of the recipients of its annual charitable contribution.

“Golf is a life-long and non-violent sport critical to the prosperity of Scottsdale; therefore Scottsdale Sister Cities, with the help of the McCormick Ranch Women’s Association, is educating world-class ambassadors of peace through the game of golf,” JoAnn Garner, Scottsdale Sister Cities Association’s Killarney Committee Chair, said in a press release.

The grant is for $500.

“(McCormick Ranch Women’s Association) is delighted to help a young ambassador travel to Killarney, Ireland this June. Hopefully, our contribution will help with travel and on the ground expenses,“ Natalie Montenegrino, the chair of the club’s charitable contributions committee, noted in a press release.

The Student Golf Exchange begins June 17 when four Scottsdale student golfers travel to Killarney for 10 days of cultural experiences and three golf matches at world famous courses while being home-hosted by their Irish exchange partners, who then visit Scottsdale from October 26 through November 4.

In applying for the grant, writer Linda Gruber illustrated how student exchanges can be life-changing events by including observations from two past youth ambassadors, according to a press release.

“My involvement in (the Scottsdale Sister Cities Association) and the junior board has left an indelible impact on my life and professional goals,” Kyle Polen, a 2018-2019 youth ambassador wrote, according to a press release. “The exchanges with students from Morocco, Switzerland, and Kenya shaped my world view, motivating me to seek out diverse learning environments and approach all interactions with a sense of cultural humility. Because of (the Scottsdale Sister Cities Association) and the perspective I gained from these youth exchanges, the pursuit of cultural diversity has become a priority for me in my life and future career.”

Norielle Abts, a student at Saguaro High School, commented in a press release, “I have grown so much from my involvement with the (Scottsdale Sister Cities Association) Junior Board and my acceptance to be a student ambassador in Interlaken, Switzerland. My eyes have been opened by the (Scottsdale Sister Cities Association), and the connections I have made are strong, genuine, respectful, and precious to me.”