Amy Rhoades (in gray print dress) attends the Millennium Development Goals inauguration ceremony with Costa Rican President Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez (third from left).

Suzanne and J.W. Rhoades of Daleville spent Christmas in Costa Rica with their daughter, Amy, a 1999 LBHS graduate. Here's another alumna doing great things, and in the spirit of the 50th anniversary of the high school, hats off to another Cav alumna!

Here's Amy's scoop:

"A 42-year-old Nepalese law professor who serves on the Supreme Court of Nepal. A 23-year-old student from Kyrgyzstan who previously worked for Soros Foundation on international development projects. A 31-year-old student from Liberia who participated in two UN peacekeeping missions. Sitting in my 'Challenges to International Law' class, I look across the faces of my classmates and appreciate once again the diversity that makes this year such a rich learning experience."

This is how Amy Rhoades begins her report to the Rotary club that granted her a scholarship towards her master's degree. She is studying at the University for Peace in Costa Rica. Her emphasis is international law and human rights.

"Given that International Law is a new field of study for me, the learning curve has been significant. The classes I have taken have been both challenging and fascinating. I've learned a great deal in the short time I've been here and look forward to the classes ahead. Additionally I've started research on my thesis and will be exploring the issue of educational services available to refugees and internally displaced persons," she adds.

The University for Peace is situated in the mountains about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) west of Costa Rica's capital, San Jose. Amy lives near the university in Cuidad Colon, a small city of approximately 20,000 people. She shares a house with three students from Japan, France, and Costa Rica. Through living together, they've had the opportunity to learn about one another's cultures and create their own tight-knit international community.

The University for Peace was established by the United Nations in 1980 with the mission to "promote among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations." Indeed, the university is intentional about living up to its mission. Through rigorous classes taught by internationally renowned professors, UPeace students are being prepared to work in international affairs with a global vision. Graduates from UPeace are currently working in NGOs, UN bodies, academia, government and in the private sector.

In addition to her studies, Amy is interning at the newly established Casa de Justicia (House of Justice) in Cuidad Colon. The Casa de Justicia offers alternative conflict resolution to residents of Cuidad Colon. It was established as part of a national initiative to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations in Costa Rica. Along with four other student interns, Amy was invited to attend the inauguration ceremony of the "Networks for Coexistence, Communities without Fear" initiative in San Jose on Oct. 26. The new project seeks to address the root causes of conflict by providing alternative conflict resolution, enrichment of community environment, local systems of protection, and early intervention to address risks connected with drugs and guns. The project is co-sponsored by the Spanish government and several UN agencies and is collaborating with the Ministries of Security, Education, and Justice in Costa Rica. President Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez spoke at the inauguration and met with UPeace students afterward.

As a scholarship recipient and an ambassador for Rotary, Amy has had the opportunity to attend and share at several area Rotary meetings in Costa Rica including her host Rotary Club de Belen. Working collaboratively with two other Ambassadorial Scholars at UPeace, they gave a lunchtime presentation for the student body about Rotary International and the various opportunities available to students. The students played a game called "Who Wants to be a Goodwillionaire?" which engaged the students in learning more about programs such as Group Study Exchange, Ambassadorial Scholarships and World Peace Fellowships.

In what little and precious spare time she has, Amy has managed to tour parts of Costa Rica and has ventured as far south as Panama. "I've visited beaches on both the Atlantic and Pacific coast. I traveled to La Fortuna in the north of Costa Rica, home to rich jungles and the impressive Arenal Volcano. I've also enjoyed the opportunity to host visitors from the United States recently and share with them about everyday life in Costa Rica," she says.

Amy received her undergraduate degree from Colgate University in upstate New York. She has spent her time since college graduation serving in nonprofit organizations in and around Chicago.

Submitted by the Rhoades family