Going to Brazil
Posted by Bill Molesworth
Doug Ewan introduced Ferenc Stenton who is the Club's outgoing exchange student. Doug suggested that Ferenc would discuss the process by which he was selected and hopes of a prospective candidate.
Ferenc promptly proved that every case is unique by declaring that he had had no ambitions to participate and that the whole process had been forced upon him. He seemed happy about it, though.
A friend had encouraged him to apply to the Penetang Club and he went to the interview but was not selected. However, it was suggested to him that he apply to Midland, as they had no candidates as yet. He was then presented with a massive application form which he was not that interested in fillling out as he had already been accepted at University but his parents 'forced' him to go to the orientation program and he met a lot of incoming students and learned about the experiences they had had and it made him realize this was a golden opportunity and made him a lot more enthusiastic. He met a student from the same street in the same town he was going to in Brazil, which meant he already had a friend there. Then he started communicating with his family there and that contact helped too.
He's a little nervous about going to a school that has 5,000 students instead of the 250 he's used to, but they have a pool, which is an attraction.
He attended the weekend in Ottawa when he helped played host to incoming students and this made him realize he was playing a role as an ambassador for his country that he wants to carry on through the year.
He plans, while in Brazil, to: get a tan;
play soccer;
learn the language;
absorb as much as he can of the art and music (his majors at university - he's played the piano since he was three) of the country;
and, come back and enrich the community with the things he's learned.
Dave Desroches commented that Ferenc's skills both in art and music are excellent and he is pleased to see him go as a representative of Canada.
Norm asked how he'd come to choose such a wonderful school as Guelph and Ferenc said he had been accepted at OCAD as well, but they would not defer his acceptance and Guelph would, and that he was looking forward to going there.
A friend had encouraged him to apply to the Penetang Club and he went to the interview but was not selected. However, it was suggested to him that he apply to Midland, as they had no candidates as yet. He was then presented with a massive application form which he was not that interested in fillling out as he had already been accepted at University but his parents 'forced' him to go to the orientation program and he met a lot of incoming students and learned about the experiences they had had and it made him realize this was a golden opportunity and made him a lot more enthusiastic. He met a student from the same street in the same town he was going to in Brazil, which meant he already had a friend there. Then he started communicating with his family there and that contact helped too.
He's a little nervous about going to a school that has 5,000 students instead of the 250 he's used to, but they have a pool, which is an attraction.
He attended the weekend in Ottawa when he helped played host to incoming students and this made him realize he was playing a role as an ambassador for his country that he wants to carry on through the year.
He plans, while in Brazil, to: get a tan;
play soccer;
learn the language;
absorb as much as he can of the art and music (his majors at university - he's played the piano since he was three) of the country;
and, come back and enrich the community with the things he's learned.
Dave Desroches commented that Ferenc's skills both in art and music are excellent and he is pleased to see him go as a representative of Canada.
Norm asked how he'd come to choose such a wonderful school as Guelph and Ferenc said he had been accepted at OCAD as well, but they would not defer his acceptance and Guelph would, and that he was looking forward to going there.