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09/22/2005: "Rotary Club Sponsors Exchange Students"

Julian Ring, Rotary exchange student from Austria with his first Pacific salmon

By Mary Kalbert

San Juan Islands Rotary Club is happy to host their first inbound exchange student from Linz, Austria. Julian Ring is a sixteen year old senior at Friday Harbor High School.

"The people are friendly here," he says with a smile, "and I am doing many things for the first time, such as fish for salmon."

Trained in classical music, Julian enjoys playing the piano after school, a cup of coffee at Pelindaba, visiting with new classmates and trips to Seattle.

"It is an adjustment to come to this island from a large city, but you have quite nice beaches, and some beautiful sunsets," Julian muses. "Also, I have never experienced such an autumn. In Austria it is cold and rainy now. Just yesterday it was almost freezing in Linz, and here it is beautiful."

Julian will be available to make presentations to interested organizations as his school schedule allows. His host families for the year are Mary and John Kalbert, Jan and Mike Close and Maria and Tom Small.

Spend A Year Overseas: Rotary Club To Sponsor An Exchange Student
The Rotary Club of the San Juan Islands is accepting applications from local high school students who are interested in attending secondary school overseas for one year as a part of an International Student Exchange Program.

To qualify, the student needs to be between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, in the upper 20% of his or her academic class, of good character, mature, and in good physical condition. Most importantly, he or she must be willing to be a good ambassador for the San Juan Islands and the United States.
The student or student's family is expected to pay travel and insurance costs, as well as provide some spending and emergency money. Room, board and schooling are provided by the host Rotary club and families.

Annually, approximately 7,000 students from more than eighty countries take part in exchanges sponsored by Rotary clubs worldwide. They will be asked to speak to the sponsoring club upon their return about their experiences.

The application forms for the Rotary Youth exchange are available at the Friday Harbor High School counseling office. Contact can also be made with Dick Shorett, (360) 378-4757 for application forms or additional information. Deadline for submission is October 14th, after which the Rotary club will interview students in late October for exchanges commencing in July or August of 2006