Our outgoing international youth exchange student, Tara Wilkinson, gave an interesting PowerPoint presentation that will be used at her host Rotary Club overseas. At the time of the presentation, Tara had not been informed which host country that will be, although her preferences are the USA, or Canada.
The presentation outlined Tara's personal background and aspirations as well as providing aspects of Australian life, including its history, unique wildlife and well-known landmarks.
Tara is 16 years old and is currently in Year 10 at Berwick College, where her favourite subjects are maths, philosophy and textiles. She also proudly announced that she has just passed her Learner's Permit and is keen to build her hours of driving experience, before her exchange commences.
In June, Tara and her brother went to Japan on their own to meet up with her sister. She really enjoyed the experience of being in a different culture surrounded by strangers and unfamiliar places, where she didn't speak the local language.
In presenting the unique fauna of Australia, Tara included photos and relevant information on Cassowaries, Emus, Kangaroos, Koalas, Tasmanian Devils, Wombats and Platypuses.
She gave a brief history of Australia beginning with the arrival of indigenous Australians about 40,000 to 70,000 years ago. Then covering the arrival of Lieutenant James Cook in 1770, the establishment of the penal colony at Botany Bay in 1778 and the gold rush in 1851, which brought large numbers of workers from overseas seeking their fortune.
The presentation concluded with photos of Australian landmarks, such as Flinders Street Station, Sydney Opera House, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef.
Tara will attend a Youth Exchange workshop at Bairnsale on Friday and Saturday, at which she should finally learn which host country she has been assigned to.
When the host country is confirmed, she will customise the PowerPoint presentation for that country. However, given the high quality of her presentation at Wednesday's meeting, she should only have to tweak it a little to make it perfect.
