Welcome Exchange Student Retief from South Africa

Please welcome our new Exchange Student!!!

Retief is 17 years old and a junior in high school.  He is taking a "gap" year while in the US and will return to complete his senior year in South Africa.  He comes from Randburg, just outside Johannesburg, South Africa.  He enjoys outdoors sports like mountain climbing & mountain biking.  He is very close with his parents and has one younger brother.  He hopes his year as a exchange student helps him to grow emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically. Retief has already attended one of our morning meetings, and we hope to see him often!

To get Retief's email and phone number, you must first log in on ClubRunner. If not directed to the Admin page, click "Admin" near top right of our home page. Then on right side of the Admin page under Membership Manager, click "Other Users", then double click his name (under "V").

His first Host Family is Kate & Larry Eighmy and their 3 sons.

We ask that EVERY Morning Star Rotarian make an effort to include Retief in at least ONE activity this year. Sharing a meal or an outing with a variety of families will give him a more fully experience life here. If you are just spending several hours with him locally, no form is needed. If you're having trouble getting his contact info from the website, he can always be reached via the Kolepps.

However, for the safety of the students, the State Department requires anyone having more than “casual contact” to complete a release form authorizing a background check. Any overnight visit/travel would necessitate a form. Please download the form from the club’s home page, then complete and submit it to Tom or Janet Kolepp (not directly to the district). They will take care of getting forms to the district, and the fee is covered. If you’d like to take him on a trip out of state or have any other questions, please check with the Kolepps.