Jeannine Desautels: A Rotarian of Service, Compassion, and Rotary Spirit
by Gail Groy
Jeannine Desautels, a member of The Rotary Club of Madison West Middleton, embodies the very best of Rotary values. For more than two decades, she has been a beacon of service—both locally and internationally—demonstrating through her actions what it truly means to “serve above self.” I sat down with her to learn more about the woman behind the mission.
What drew you to nursing? My passion for nursing started in high school when I volunteered at a local hospital. I remember passing juices around—nothing glamorous—but the whole atmosphere captivated me. The energy, the sense of purpose, the knowledge that we were making a real difference in people’s lives. I was hooked.
My path wasn’t always straightforward. I started nursing school in Winnipeg but had to leave after six months due to financial constraints. Life took me through teachers’ college, marriage, and raising three children, but nursing never left my heart. I finally completed my degree at 35 years old, with three kids in tow. Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.
Your most impactful moment as a nurse? One story stands out above all others. A 12-year-old boy from Nicaragua came to us for open-heart surgery, and my husband and I became his temporary foster parents. After the first surgery, he needed another due to severe malnutrition. He came home the night before Thanksgiving—on IVs and feeding tubes—right into a house full of holiday guests. We managed the IVs every four hours, taking turns so one of us could sleep. It was exhausting but necessary. Though his journey was ultimately heartbreaking, caring for him taught me more about resilience and unconditional love than any textbook ever could. He passed away recently, and when I saw his mother, she insisted and gave me her most precious wedding ring before leaving, and I treasure it every day. That experience shaped who I am as a nurse and as a person.
Describe your incredible work with Rotary’s Guatemala scholarship program My medical missions with Rotary in Guatemala began about 20 years ago. During my first trip, I noticed children coming in with aches and pains consistent with much older patients. When I investigated, I learned they weren’t attending school—they were cutting sugarcane in the fields instead. That first year, we sent three children to school. When word got out, people started sending me donations. By the second year, I had enough for 33 scholarships.
The generosity was incredible, and I realized we needed to formalize it. So, we established The Oliveros Scholarship Fund.
Today, we’re sending 69 children to school annually, ranging from grades 1-6, with an additional 20 university scholarships. Our board just met and we’re committing to do the same next year. What started as helping three children has grown into transforming dozens of lives each year.
That’s the power of Rotary.
How do you balance it all? I’ve been blessed with an exceptional support system. My husband has been my rock through everything—his career, my nursing degree, raising our family, and now our service work. When you have a true partner who shares your values, balance becomes possible. We make it work together. I also continue volunteering at a specialty clinic locally, which fulfills me in different ways than my clinical nursing career did.
Service takes many forms, and I’ve learned that you don’t always have to use the same skills in the same way. The important thing is showing up and doing what you can, where you can.
The best joke you’ve heard at Rotary? Jeannine: Here’s one I’ve been sharing for years—it always gets a laugh: Two ladies are at a funeral home looking at one woman’s deceased husband in the coffin. The widow opens her purse, pulls out an envelope, and places it in the coffin with him. Her friend asks, “What on earth are you doing?” “Well,” she says, “before my husband died, he had a lot of money and made me promise to bury his money with him.” Her friend looks at her in disbelief: “Are you crazy? He’s dead—how will he ever know?” The widow smiles and says, “Don’t worry. I wrote him a check.” ☺
Jeannine’s legacy at Rotary is one of genuine compassion, tireless dedication, and an infectious spirit of service. Whether she’s caring for a patient, mentoring young scholars in Guatemala, or brightening a room with her humor, she reminds us all why we joined Rotary in the first place.
