RYLA 2017 - Taking an Opportunity
Ivana Pasavicova is one of the two young people our club sponsored to RYLA in January. She heard about RYLA in an unusual way. For those who missed the story, Theo Glockemann was selling raffle tickets at Hornsby last December and found the passers by were much taken with the attractive busker across the square. Her singing was attracting much more attention and contributions than Theo’s singing, so he went across and promoted RYLA. Ivana accepted and now she was to tell us something of her week at RYLA.
We sponsored two young people to RYLA this year, Ivana Pasavicova and Martin Gassman. They are pictured below with Youth Chairman, John Ellis.
Ivana addressed the club following the week at RYLA. Having grown up in Slovakia she was apprehensive about her English language skills and how she might fit into this group who were generally younger than she is. She also reflected on how different the experience was when compared with the life she had known in Europe. What she realised was how the week made her reflect on her capabilities and how best to implement her particular capabilities. Community service was another theme and, working in a community group of young Europeans who are trying to find their feet in Sydney, she found RYLA had some very useful guidance. In particular she has accepted one RYLA theme – to lead by example. Another theme of the week was learning to know one’s self. She also saw the importance of improving her own English language skills and how to remain positive. Since RYLA she has been in contact with many of her fellow RYLArians, including getting together on Australia Day. She made the point that, compared to the Europe she knew, having a Rotary Club sponsor her, an unknown quantity, for a very rewarding week, made her appreciate that there is so much about this country that gives her so much to reflect upon. Currently she is flatting with a friend who commented that since RYLA she hasn’t spoken about anything else. She explained that she came to Sydney six years ago to take an opportunity to spend six months improving her classical singing skills. Owing to the wind and rain and other reasons, she is still here and has taken out Australian citizenship. Ivana was asked of any plans for her future. She plans, later this year, to spend some months in Italy to polish her Italian, so relevant to her classical singing. She ended her presentation with her very moving rendition of “You Raise Me Up”.
Unfortunately, Martin Gassman was unwell on the night of Ivana's talk and has not been able to report on his impressions of the week long RYLA.