Editor’s note: This post was written in two parts, the first during the author’s Rotary Youth Exchange year and the second after she returned from her exchange.

By Smera Chandan

My name is Smera Chandan and I am 16 years old. I am sitting in English class. I am in a class to learn English, yet I am fluent in English. So why would I be in an English class?

I am a Rotary Youth Exchange student from the United States and I am living in Catalonia, Spain. I began this journey in September 2022, and I have been living among the people, culture, and customs of this beautiful place for five months. What an incredible time it has been.

By Pietro Oliveira da Silva, Vice President and Project Director of the Rotaract Club of Guaramirim, Brazil; and Director of Diversity and Inclusion, District 4652

Our first years of life are often defined by our parents. If born a boy, we play with toy cars, wear dark clothes, and take soccer classes. If born a girl, we wear pink clothes, have ribbons in our hair, play with dolls, and take ballet classes. This is the normal pattern deeply rooted in society. Our parents were raised this way and raise their children the same way, following these standards.

Since I was 8 or 9 years old, I already felt different. I wanted to wear my brother’s clothes, play soccer with the boys at school. I wanted to feel free, without having to worry about choosing fancy clothes or braiding my hair.

My favorite month of the year is August because that is when Rotary focuses on membership. As a membership organization, we recognize that our members are our biggest asset. When Rotary membership is strong, our clubs are thriving, we are more visible, and our members have more resources to help their communities.

That is why growing our membership is one of our top priorities. How do we grow membership? Luckily, we don’t have to approach this question in a vacuum. A number of Rotary International surveys have confirmed that the single most important factor in member satisfaction is the club experience.