The Rotary Club of Athabasca heard from incoming, outgoing and returning exchange students at their meeting last Wednesday.
Spencer Beveridge, 17, departed Athabasca for the town of Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany, last year on Aug. 4, 2012, and returned to Canada on July 19, 2013.
Beveridge described his trip as a “pretty amazing experience.” He said, “I’ve never had so much fun in my life (as) this past year. When I say ‘amazing,’ I literally mean ‘amazing.’”
He said the exchange taught him to be self-confident and independent.
A few weeks ago, Beveridge received word from a university in Frankfurt that he had passed an intermediate-level German language exam, which would now qualify him for permanent residency in the country if he so chose.
During his exchange, he toured Germany with his host parents and also travelled through Belgium, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria.
“The world’s not what it seems,” Beveridge said. “You have to open your eyes and take a look around, and it’s pretty awesome once you see what’s out there.”
Beveridge concluded his presentation with a few words in German well suited to Rotarians: “Vielen dank für ihre aufmerksamkeit, und vielen dank für diese gelegenheit!”
Translated, he said, “Thank you for your attention, and this opportunity!”
Edwin Parr Composite student Kailey Maston departed last Thursday for Bordeaux, France, to partake in a Rotary cultural exchange. She will be attending a school there.
She will go to Rotary meetings in France and said she will take a “whole bunch of trips” while in the country.
Maston will be in Grade 11 while in France and said she is looking forward to the experience.
Janne Frannsens from Belgium arrived in Athabasca last Monday and will be in town for the next year.
She is from the City of Hasselt in the province of Limburg. There are three Rotary clubs in her home city.
Frannsens will be living with a number host parents in the Athabasca area.
“I’ve never been out of Europe except for this time,” she said. “Everybody’s really nice, and everybody wants to meet you, so it’s a lot of fun.”
She will return to Hasselt on July 12, 2014.
