By Drew Sechler
dsechler@salisburypost.com
The future governor of North Carolina may live right here in Rowan County. At least that’s what East Rowan rising senior Danielle Wall hopes.
Wall was recently named Junior Civitan International Vice President at the Junior Civitan International Convention held in Atlanta.
Junior Civitan is the longest ongoing project of Civitan International. Civitan is a community service organization aimed at making the world a better place.
There are Junior Civitan clubs in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Civitan dates to the early 1900s and the East Rowan Junior Civitan Club is one of the biggest in the world.
“Junior Civitan has been a part of my life for six years and after serving as a club officer and district governor, I decided the next step was to run for international office to help the organization grow,” Wall said.
Prior to being named international vice president, Wall served as a member at large for the East Rowan club and North Carolina District West governor.
Wall’s previous accolades include raising $3,300 for a fundraiser called Sno-do (pronounced “snow-dough”), which is held in Barrie, Ontario. Sno-do is a cross-country snowmobile fundraiser in which more than 30 Junior Civitan district governors and international officers from the United States and Canada solicit pledges before making the journey north. All money raised goes toward the International Research Center in Birmingham, Ala. According to the Junior Civitan Web site, the Sno-do fundraiser has raised nearly $1.5 million since it’s inception.
Wall is in charge of the Sno-do fundraiser this year.
Wall took her wealth of experience to the International Convention in Atlanta, where she was rewarded for her success. The East Rowan Junior Civitan won second place for Club of the Year and East Rowan advisor Meredith Abramson was named Advisor of the Year.
“When you get there, you don’t know if you’re running against anybody,” Wall said of running for vice president.
“When they announced the 2009 – 2010 vice president, I was overwhelmed to know that I could be such a big part of this organization that truly makes the world a better place. I’m really excited to be on the board with people from around the world.”
She said the club winning second place was huge, since Lancaster High School normally wins in all categories.
“It was a big deal just to beat one of the top dogs of Junior Civitan,” Wall said.
Wall says she has to be in constant contact with the Civitan International president, Junior Civitan president and the board.
Wall is set to visit Birmingham at the end of July to tour the research center.
Faith, Rockwell and Granite Quarry Civitan Clubs sponsor ERHS Junior Civitan. Wall said the club does joint service projects with their sponsors, which includes the Civitan Scholars Banquet, Rowan County Foster Children’s Party, Battered Women’s Shelter and Meals on Wheels.
The club also donated 2,200 pounds of food through the Miss Junior Civitan Pageant, in which Wall was named Miss Junior Civitan.
Wall said she is excited about the future.
After graduating from East Rowan, she plans to attend UNC-Chapel Hill or American University, where she will major in political science.
Wall interned with Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s campaign committee during the last election.
“My big goal is to become a senator before I’m 45,” she said.