Assiniboia high school students participating in Rotary youth camps and exchanges this year shared their experiences with Assiniboia Rotary Club members on October 3.
Victoria Grondin and Sara Madison attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Award camp (RYLA) in Manitoba this past summer and spoke about its benefits. RYLA is a leadership program coordinated by Rotary Clubs for youth aged 13 to 30 years. “It is truly inspiring,” Grondin commented. The activities such as the Amazing Race and dance night challenge were designed to help the students to learn to work together. Two students from Assiniboia Elementary School, Sarah and Nikki, spoke of RYLA as being a place to form friendships and a safe space to discuss topics. Some of the important skills that the students learn were communications.
The club members also heard from Valentin Schwamborn from Germany, a Rotary long-term exchange student who will be in Assiniboia for the year. He has only been in Saskatchewan for a couple of months, but he shared his impressions. So far, he loves being in Saskatchewan and has been camping and fishing with his host family. He now attends high school full-time. Schwamborn was part of the Assiniboia Rockets high school football team and played the night game under the lights in September.
He also had a chance to experience a uniquely Saskatchewan phenomenon – a Saskatchewan Roughrider game. “Everything was so green,” he quipped. Although he comes from a German city of about 50,000, Schwamborn has been immersing himself in school and activities and making lots of new friends. “Assiniboia is the perfect size,” he explained.
Brenna Luke participated in the Rotary’s international short-term exchange program this summer. Luke had always wanted to see Rome and through Rotary, she was able to achieve her dream. Luke and her family hosted a student from Italy, who then hosted Luke. Luke noted that the Italian student was rather fearful when she arrived. “You can’t let fear keep you from seeing this stuff,” said Luke.
As time passed the Italian student came to appreciate the simple beauty of Saskatchewan like a Prairie thunderstorm. Luke’s time in Italy made a strong impression on her and she appreciated the benefits of the family setting that Rotary provided. She penned a letter of reflection and gratitude that was read by the Rotary district committee at its Neepawa meeting. Luke spoke with fondness of her host family. “We did things together as a family,” she said. “Even though we are miles apart, I can’t forget them.” Luke noted that she returned home with more experience and knowledge about the world.
Brooke Schollar was also on a short-term exchange to France. Schollar had a wish to see Paris. She and her family hosted a student from France, who was well-matched to Schollar in terms of interests. In Canada Schollar’s family took the French student on such activities as camping in the mountains and to a Rider game. In Paris, Schollar found that she easily transcended the communication barrier and improved her French so much that, as she recounted in a comical story, airport staff thought she was a native French-speaker and brought in a translator.
The Rotary youth exchange is an international program promoting friendship and peace around the world. Students are placed in a host family for short or long term stays to learn about other cultures. Joanne Feeley is the Rotary student liaison at the high school and Marni Chadwick is the liaison at AES.
