April 7, 2013 ~ At this past Thursday's lunch meeting, past President Shaun Thomas talked about the necessary involvement from all parties for a successful youth exchange year. From the Rotary Club to the host families and, most important, the exchange student, the degree of involvement from everyone is what makes the year fun and memorable.
The Rotary Club of Prince Rupert has been involved with the Youth Exchange Program for many years. In the past five years alone, at least eight students have experienced a year away from home in a foreign country.
Here are some exchange details of these special young people:
2013/14 - Outgoing Prince Rupert student Jessica (Jess) Mokrzychi will be going to Brazil this summer.
2013/14 - The inbound student is yet to be determined.
2012/13 - Outgoing Prince Rupert student Celina Guadagni is currently in Brazil and Prince Rupert student Emma Burton is in the Netherlands. Emma is hosted by the Smithers Rotary Club.
2012/13 - Inbound student, and currently in Prince Rupert, is Alejandro (Alex) Canet-Ramo from Madrid, Spain.
2011/12 - Outgoing Prince Rupert students were Casey Sawchuk who went to Germany and Jane Bradbury who went to Belgium.
2011/12 - Inbound student to Prince Rupert was Mariah Tomasin who came from Brazil.
2008/09 - Last but not least, the inbound student to Prince Rupert was Vincent Perraud who came from France. There were no outgoing students that year.
There were no inbound or outgoing students between 2009 and 2011.
Past exchange students have returned to Prince Rupert to visit and some have stayed in touch through social media (see
Sarah Way’s message about her 1989/90 exchange year at
https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfPrinceRupert ). Some Rotarians have had the opportunity to visit inbound students in their home countries getting the chance to meet their families, see some of their sights and learn some of their customs.
It took a lot of courage for these students to leave their family and friends for a year. For the host families and Rotary members, the students’ participation and trust have enriched their lives as well.
It's a win, win situation for everyone!
For more information on the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, go to
