Anne Morrell - Rotary Youth Exchange

Posted by Tom Breen

on Dec 12, 2012

    If you were to ask several Rotarians what they like about Rotary, you’d likely get several answers. Each of us has at least one Rotary program that we especially like. Today, heard our own Anne Morrell tell us about her favorite Rotary program – Youth Exchange.
    Anne got involved in the Youth Exchange program when the club’s previous Youth Exchange officer, Robert Leopard, asked at a meeting if anyone knew Pal-Mac’s soccer coach. The inbound student was from Brazil and Robert wanted to see if the coach might have a spot for the student on the team. Anne helped make that happen, and became one of the student's host families, too. She went on to become our club’s Youth Exchange officer, and is currently the District's Vice-Chair for Inbound Students.
    The Rotary Youth Exchange was started with the idea of bringing the world together through its youth. Today, more than 8,000 students participate in almost 80 countries. Through this program, young people learn about family life, school, and culture in other countries. They develop friendships and bonds that can last a lifetime.


Anne Morrell (l), with our current exchange student, Mila Koziarska

Youth Exchange focuses strongly on safety. 9/11 prompted many changes to the program. The 9/11 terrorists were in the US on J-1 Visas – the same type of Visa our exchange students use. Rotary International became certified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). All potential inbound students undergo background checks by DHS, as do all host families. The Exchange Program must know where each student is at any time on any day. Students are not allowed to leave their district without extensive paperwork, due to limitations of the visa. With all the paperwork and record-keeping, managing the program is like running a business. But if you ask Anne or anyone involved, the program is well worth the effort.
Anne started her talk by thanking the club for its support of Youth Exchange. She extended her thanks to the club members who have hosted exchange students in their homes, and to the school district for its work with the program. She closed by reading a recent email from that Brazilian exchange student, and it was clear that he considers the Morrells as a second family. Anne is clearly passionate about the Youth Exchange program, and it is certainly in good hands with her on board. We are all grateful for her efforts. Thank you, Anne!