Rotary Youth Exchange
by Lorine Parks
Our participation in the Rotary Student Exchange stands at: one here, one ready to go. The one here is Paula Mena, our year-long visitor from Valencia, Spain. This is Paula’s second presentation to the club and it was a pleasure to see how fluid in English she has become, and how comfortable addressing an audience. Dressed in fashionably faded jeans and a turquoise logo’ed tee shirt, her standard Rotary Exchange Student navy blazer was covered with pins she has acquired from local clubs and places.
Our Student Ready To Go is Sean Davis, Diane’s son, and Sean is set to depart for the Brussels area, which is exciting because it is the center of activity for the European Union. Sean has already prepared a bon jour speech in French, introducing himself and his hosts will surely appreciate that.
President Paul presented Sean with several of our Club’s new flags and pins, to give to clubs in Belgium. Sean is as friendly and extroverted as his grandfather Don Davis, also our club member and former president. Bon voyage et bonne chance, Sean. Get that jacket covered with pins.
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Paula told us that English is her third language: she already speaks both Spanish and Valencian. She showed us pictures of her own family and of her Rotary family of friends. We also saw places she has visited; San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
At Pink’s in Hollywood, Paula’s face is right there in the cut-out of a giant hot dog. She has gone skiing at Big Bear, even though she didn’t know how, and there she is in ski finery on the snowy slopes. We saw her excited smile in a picture taken on a log flume ride, and again, dressed in Downey High School’s crimson and white and gold at a track meet.
Her impression so far, of Southern California: “you can go anywhere in thirty minutes, the mountains, the sea.” “In Spain, it is ‘work, work, work. Here it is, let’s go and have some fun.”
Having an experience like this Student Exchange, she says, changes your life. As President Paul said, as he presented her with our clubs pennant and pin, it takes a lot of courage, to leave your friends and family and school, to come to a foreign land, and learn a new language. Please consider us as your family and friends.