Nikki Isemann returned to Lincoln South Rotary Club recently and presented a Member Moment on January 20, 2023.
Nikki has mentioned that Rotary - and the ideals of Rotary - have been an important part of her life.
 
We learned that Nikki's decision to study political science is because of her experiences at an early age. Her family was in Germany - her father was stationed in Heidelberg as a military attorney. Nikki witnessed protests of Germans who did not want the Americans there - she wondered why. Nikki's dad (Rotary Member Del Phillips) explained that most Germans wanted them there - but a few did not. When Nikki asked how it could be explained to those protesters - that the Americans were there to help -Del explained the position of the diplomats. He also challenged Nikki to read the paper and learn about the current activities.
 
So , at the age of 10, she began to develop her career. She read the paper daily, asked questions, and was challenged to do something every day to help mankind. She has applied "Service Above Self" since youth.
 
She thought she would like to be a diplomat and the study of political science was how she would get there.
 
She started her Rotary experience as an Ambassadorial Scholar - she studied in Germany - continuing toward her Masters in Political Science. She was introduced to the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar program by staff at Northeast Missouri State, including Ray Klingensmith who became Rotary International President in 2009.
 
While visiting her husband at Kansas State, wearing a Rotary shirt, she was approached by William Richter, in the Political Science Program. He asked her about her shirt - she told him about her Ambassadorial Scholarship. He offered her a job stating that the only thing he needed to know was her affiliation with Rotary. Nikki wanted to point out - the power of Rotary!
 
Nikki went on to teach at a few colleges, with the last 23 years at Southeast Community College in Lincoln.