Bill Kempiners, our current Youth Exchange Officer, gave us great news about Youth Exchange Programs at our May 9 club meeting. Tawan-OK Sirichote, who goes by Maii or Mark, from Sathorn (Bangkok area), Thailand will be our inbound student for the 2022-2023 school year. Our Club is sponsoring Maii, along with the Sathorn Rotary Club. A host family in Springfield has been identified for him in Springfield, and he will go to Springfield High School. We are eager to meet and learn more about this young man when he arrives in mid-August.
We are currently sponsoring an outbound student for this school year (2022-2023), Mark McDonald, and presented him with check for $2,000 to help him prepare for his trip abroad on Foundation Night (image below). At the May 9 meeting, Bill Kempiners noted that one of the recent Rotary Youth Leadership Award students is also interested in being an outbound student this school year. She is actively pursuing the appropriate approvals now and we have agreed to sponsor her this year if arrangements can be made. Our Club Foundation manages the Bellatti Kincaid Fund, which helps provide support for Central States Youth Exchange Students.
Bill also reported on the great representation of Springfield-area students (21 of the 45 students!) at the recent Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) gathering. Our club sponsored 5 students for RYLA. He announced the exciting news that all of the Springfield-area participants are interested in creating a Community Interact Club.
