The Interact Club was originally founded in 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney from Chicago, Illinois. Some people know and call the club different names; for example, Rotary International, Interact club, or just Interact. The word “interact” was created by fusing the two words “international” and “action,” and those words define what this club is exactly about.

But it is most known as Rotary because the original members chose this name because initially they rotated following weekly club meetings to each other’s offices, and within a year, the Chicago club became so large it became essential to adopt the now-common practice of a regular meeting place.

This club offers the chance to make a difference, while working with others to change. Interact is a club for young people ages 12-18 who want to join together to tackle the issues in their community that they care most about. Their stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Because of this, they do multiple activities to carry out hands-on service projects, make international connections, develop leadership skills, increase their world understanding, build friendship, and simply have fun, etc.

Destiny Vaughn, a junior, is the president of Tupelo High School’s Interact Club; she has a vision for lead and to help others.

When asked what the easiest and most difficult challenge is for her as president, she said, “The easiest part is to just get along with the others and meet new people, and the most difficult challenge is being sure that everybody is on the right track and has everything done.”

She also plans to lead the club to participate in future activities and events, so that members can get a full experience on what it is like to take on some service projects.

“We are supposed to be walking in the Christmas parade, and we are supposed to be going to different elementary schools to read books to the students while helping teachers with their classes.”

Not only does Vaughn want to be a big influence to the members of the Interact Club, but she also has her own vision to help her fellow members as well. Vaughn said, “I just want to lead them in the right direction, and I want to help and repay the community back.”

To describe what Interact means to her, Vaughn said, “This club is all about helping the community and serving others before yourself. Any help matters to us.”

Connecting with different people can give one many understandings of how helping and leading has the ability to reach out to others, and that leads to memories that can be kept forever. Interact means a lot to not only Vaughn, but to all the others who participate in this club throughout the US, and will only continue to grow more and more.