Rotary Youth Exchange

Rotary Youth Exchange
 
February has been a busy month for Rotary Youth Exchange. In the morning of February 10 at Lone Star College, members of the District Youth Exchange Committee interviewed five more applicants including their parents, three for the long-term school-year exchange and two for the short-term summer exchange.
 
Committee members busy discussing interview results.
 
That same day in the afternoon the three long-term students were joined by four earlier long-term applicants, including their parents, and they all received their first orientation training, learning about Rotary and the details of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.
 
 
The Committee had wonderful help from three Rotex who spent a year abroad, Zoe Garza from Dayton who went to Thailand for a year, Shelsy Mireles from Lake Conroe who lived for a year in Belgium, and Garrett Carter from Lake Conroe who enjoyed living in Brazil for a year. Two current inbound students helped us as well, Silvia from Italy currently living in Friendswood and Zita from Austria currently living in The Woodlands. They all talked about their experience as an US exchange student in another country and what it means for a foreign exchange student living in the US.
 
From left: Silvia, Zita, Zoe Garza, and PDG Doris Lockey
 
One week later, February 17-18, eight members of the District Youth Exchange Committee, three Rotex, and all seven long-term outbound students met again, this time for two days at Camp Allen near Navasota. The group was joined by a student from District 5830 and her District YEO.  
 
Front row, from left: Rotex Garrett Carter from Lake Conroe who went to Brazil, Rotex Kara Culpepper from Nacogdoches who went to France, Annemarie Hoffzimmer from Huntsville going to Italy, Regan Payne from Friendswood going to France, Marit Chauvin from Nacogdoches going to Belgium, and Rotex Zoe Garza from Dayton who went to Thailand. Middle row, from left: Jill Bultemeier from District 5830 going to Germany, Geena Timmerman from League City going to Germany, Willie Xu from League City going to Spain, Irma Castro from Bryan going to France, and Vivian Kremer from Huntsville going to Germany. Back row, from left: Nisa Gillespie (Huntsville), Rachel Trimble (District 5830 YEO), AG Birda Gaskin (League City), Chris Turner (Friendswood), PDG Doris Lockey (Lake Conroe), PDG Glen Mattingly and Carol Mattingly (Huntsville), Marcus Gillespie (Huntsville), and PDG Ulli Budelmann (Galveston).
 
It was an intensive training for almost two days during which students were prepared for what is ahead of them, that is, attending a high school in a foreign country and living with 2-3 host families they have never met before.
 
 
 
 
Hopefully the students will remember what they have learned this weekend and become the best ambassadors for the US they can be. 
 
There will be a third orientation training during the weekend May 25-27 again at Camp Allen, and then a final “wrap-up” on July 7, before the students leave for a year-long experience that will change their lives.  
 
But please take note!
Not only are students going out; students are coming here, too!
 
In order to arrange exchanges in other countries for our students, we must host students from other countries as well – so host clubs are needed for the coming Rotary Year!  How about urging your club to consider hosting an exchange student!  It is a wonderful experience for everyone who participates in the program – students, host families, schools, and host clubs!  In case your club needs more information about what is involved in hosting (and what not), please contact Glen Mattingly or any member of the District Youth Exchange Committee; we would all be more than happy to help.
 
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