Laurent Oliva, a 2006 graduate of USC Beaufort, has received The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship. Oliva graduated cum laude with a B.S. degree in business management. The nineteen-year-old is originally from St. Cruz, Bolivia, South America, and already has an impressive academic history.

Oliva moved with her mother to the United States in 2001. She worked tirelessly to learn English and graduated from Hilton Head High School with a 4.0 academic average. She continued to work and receive scholarships to educate herself at USC Beaufort.

"The one thing that was always clear about Laurent is that she is intellectually gifted," said Dean Cleavenger, the Sharon and Richard Steward Professor of Management at USC Beaufort. "Her ability to take in, understand, and store information is immense."

Oliva was sponsored for the Ambassadorial Scholarship by The Hilton Head Rotary Club and member Bernie Riedel. The scholarship has enabled Oliva to study graduate level business and international relations with an emphasis on poverty reduction at the University of Sydney, Australia, where she is currently enrolled.

Oliva is joining the approximately 1,000 Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholars who serve abroad annually. Currently the world's largest private sponsor of university level international scholarships, the Ambassadorial Scholarships Program supports the mission of The Rotary Foundation to further international understanding and world peace. In existence for over half a century, the Rotary Foundation's Ambassadorial Scholarships have nearly 37,000 alumni and have introduced students and teachers to over 70 different countries.

5/06