Woman's award springs from Russia, with love

Monday, March 03, 2008

BY S.J. SMITH

Special to Citylife

KALAMAZOO -- Jerolyn Selkirk has a love for ``all things Russian'' and international

``Every day of my life, something about Russia comes into my life. I've learned not to question it but to accept it,'' she said.

Since 1991, after she visited Pushkin, Russia, and, with a small group of colleagues, subsequently founded the Kalamazoo-Pushkin Partnership, Selkirk has devoted herself to fostering Kalamazoo's awareness of Russia and -- most especially -- Kalamazoo's ``sister city'' and its strong, family-oriented people.

``Pushkin is very similar to Kalamazoo, with beautiful parks,'' Selkirk said about her beloved city, 25 kilometers south of St. Petersburg and home to the palace of the czar. ``We realized the need to connect to people -- the people of Pushkin are open, generous, talented in the arts.''

Selkirk, a warm and engaging woman with glasses, laughs and says the members of the Kalamazoo-Pushkin Partnership are `` a group of Russian wannabes.''

``We're a group of people from Kalamazoo very interested in all things Russian.''

For her dedication and her work with the Pushkin Partnership, Colleagues International -- whose goal is to promote international understanding and facilitate global business, professional development and cultural exchanges -- honored Selkirk with its first-ever Citizen Diplomat of the Year Award on Feb. 18 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites. The banquet featured musical performances by Igor Fedotov and Phyllis Rappeport.

Jim Dunstan, president of Azon Corp., presented the keynote speech, and a silent auction benefiting Colleagues International also was held.

Jennifer Lang, executive director of Colleagues International, calls Selkirk a ``Russian magnet.''

``She can be on the street in St. Petersburg, and all of a sudden, across the street, `Jerolyn, Jerolyn' -- a Russian friend will recognize her,'' Lang said.

She was nominated for the award by Michael and Marie Stoline. The Stolines have noted that Selkirk ``excels in every facet of what it means to be a citizen diplomat.''

A graduate of Western Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in education, Selkirk has combined her love of teaching in Kalamazoo area schools with her love of baton twirling. She has taught baton twirling to hundreds of children and has judged organized baton twirling competitions throughout the U.S.

She is very involved with family life, having raised two children and having three grandsons.

While Selkirk's international interests began with travels to Mexico, Spain, Italy and most of Europe, Selkirk says, ``My first trip to Russia truly opened my eyes and heart to the possibilities of what I want to do with my life,'' leading her on the path to becoming a citizen diplomat.

``Personally I feel that education is the most important aspect of being a citizen diplomat,'' and ``Simple awareness is often the solution, or can help create the solution. One of my great teachers said, `Make one step into the process and it automatically expands.'''

Selkirk was one of the first westerners to visit the town of Omsk, Siberia. While attending seminars there, she connected with a mother of a little girl with a cleft palate who asked Selkirk to help her child. ``Well, that was enough for me,'' Selkirk said. ``So I came home to find help, and Dr. Frank Newman told me he would help the child if I could get her over here.''

It took more than two years for Selkirk to get Olga to the U.S., and after many calls to the Russian Embassy and help from the nonprofit group Healing the Children of Michigan, she finally succeeded.

Seven-year-old Olga lived with Selkirk for two years while doctors corrected her cleft palate. Now 20, Olga is in her third year as a university student in Omsk, Siberia.

Selkirk's love for Russia and all things international has transcended into her everyday life. What began ``as a picnic'' in the backyard of Michael and Marie Stoline has metamorphosed into the annual Kalamazoo Russian Festival held at the Fetzer Center.

``Very special'' children of diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., have ``come to sing and entertain in wonderful ways,'' Selkirk said. And more than 1,000 people attend each year now to sample the ``sounds, music and life'' of the Russian people -- and the wonderful food.

``Needless to say,'' Selkirk said, ``the Citizen Diplomat Award gives me an opportunity to bring my family and friends together to share our good memories and plans for the future.''

And the future? Along with deepening her knowledge of Russians and Pushkin, the architecturally beautiful ``town of Muses,'' she has developed ``a new interest in Uganda.'' She laughs.

``We'll see where that takes me.''

More information

For more information regarding the Citizen Diplomat of the Year Award, The Kalamazoo-Pushkin Partnership or The Kalamazoo Russian Festival, visit www.colleaguesinternational.com or call 341-9494.

Kalamazoo Russian Festival

Proceeds from the Kalamazoo Russian Festival are donated to several humanitarian projects in Pushkin, Russia, including a home for disadvantaged children, a private women's clinic, art classes in the Pushkin schools, an orphanage, and a School of the Art for the deaf in Pavlovsk. Visit the festival's Web site: Russianfestival.org

P.S.  I want you all to know that I was NOT one of the founders of the Kalamazoo-Pushkin Partnership. Although I did go to Pushkin in 1991. The Partnership already existed when I was having a fund raiser to bring Olga to Kalamazoo and every single member showed up with only a days notice to help buy her ticket to the USA.  I guess something got misinterpreted in the story to the reporter at the Kalamazoo Gazette.  The rest of the story is true and I am extremely honored to be the first ":Citizen Diplomat of Kalamazoo."  Jerolyn

Article as it appeared in the Kalamazoo Gazette on March 3.