D’Lisa Simmons ‘90
Alumna’s service reaches communities from
Texas to Pakistan WRITTEN BY AMANDA GREEN
D’Lisa Simmons ’90, an administrative law judge for the U.S. Social Security Administration, takes the idea of community service beyond the borders of her hometown, supporting those in need across the globe.
On her personal time, D’Lisa Simmons volunteers with Rotary International, a global network of volunteers known as Rotarians whose goal is to create positive change in their respective communities and those abroad, guided by the principles of service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, and leadership. Local Rotary clubs, led by Rotary International and supported by the Rotary Foundation, direct their efforts to a myriad of good causes that focus on promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies. As a part of their mission to fight disease, Rotary made a pledge in 1979 to eradicate polio, a highly infectious virus that most commonly affects young children. This virus, typically transmitted through contaminated food or water, attacks the nervous system and can lead to paralysis. While the World Health Organization estimates that polio cases have decreased by more than 99 percent since 1988, the virus remains endemic in three countries — Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria — and a risk of importing polio into polio-free countries still exists. Because the disease is incurable, the only way to eradicate it is to prevent further cases through education and vaccination. Simmons spent her Christmas holiday in Lahore, Pakistan as a part of that effort. Here, she opens up to InRe about her work with Rotary International, her visit to Pakistan, and how international service impacts her perspective as a legal practitioner.
Q&A
InRe: You volunteer with other organizations outside Rotary, too. Service seems to be an important part of your value system. Where does that drive come from? DS: Service is very important to me. I grew up in a family of nurses and teachers, so that value was embodied all around me from a very young age. And I think the servant gets so much more out of the experience than those being served. InRe: You have dedicated a lot of time over the past three decades to volunteering with your local Rotary organizations, first with the Galleria club and now with the Houston Skyline club here downtown. But how did you first hear about Rotary International? DS: Growing up, Rotary was always that thing your dad or grandpa did. At that time, it was a men’s-only organization. It was something I had heard about, but my first real exposure was at a luncheon as a high school senior, where local Rotarians introduced us to Rotary service. Later, in law school, I took a year off to study abroad in Singapore on a Rotary scholarship, for which I was very grateful. InRe: A yearlong study-abroad experience is an opportunity not many law school students receive. How did that experience influence your remaining law school career? DS: I came back with a greater appreciation for the quality of education South Texas provides and for the liberties afforded to U.S. citizens. At the time of my visit, the Singaporean government was censoring the news media for criticizing the country’s leadership, which was unimaginable to me. I certainly had a new stcl.edu
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