Rotary sponsors exchange student

Teenage girls like a lot of the same things, pizza, French fries, movies and shopping. That really doesn’t change from country to country. Reija Raunela is a good example of that. The sixteen-year-old exchange student from Finland is currently living in Seymour and attending Seymour High School. “The first thing she had when I picked her up from the airport is was a hot fudge brownie at the local McDonalds” stated Bettina Kooijman who is a counselor or go-between for the student, the host family and the sponsor Rotary International. The Rotary International website states, “The most powerful force in the promotion of international understanding and peace is exposure to different cultures. The world becomes a smaller, friendlier place when we learn that all people — regardless of nationality — desire the same basic things: a safe, comfortable environment that allows for a rich and satisfying life for ourselves and our children. Youth Exchange provides thousands of young people with the opportunity to meet people from other lands and to experience their cultures, thus planting the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding.” Since its inception in 1929, students and host families all over the world have had their horizons broadened and their lives enriched by the generosity of Rotary’s Youth Exchange program. Administered by Rotary clubs, districts and multi-district groups, the program today involves more than 82 countries and over 8,000 students each year. The first documented exchanges date back to 1929, when the Rotary Club of Copenhagen, Denmark, initiated exchanges with European students. Exchanges between clubs in California, USA, and Latin American countries began in 1939, and exchange activities spread to the eastern United States in 1958. In 1972, the Rotary International Board of Directors agreed to recommend Youth Exchange to clubs worldwide as a worthwhile international activity promoting global peace and understanding. Raunela has traveled through Spain, Italy and Europe. This is her first time in the U.S. According to Kooijman the teenager will be staying until August 2003 with various host families (their stays usually last one year). Raunela is currently staying with Larry and Bonnie Finchum and will stay for different times ranging an average of three months per stay. Bonnie makes sure her visa stays in order, and the couple with their daughters include her in their home life to make her feel as comfortable as possible in her new surroundings. “We had hosted an exchange student before about two or three years ago and I am a former member of the Rotary Club” stated Larry Finchum. “It was a wonderful experience and we wanted to do it again. You learn as much from those children as you teach them. They are grateful and appreciate what you do. It’s a good experience for my girls too, Lacie age 17 and Jessi age 16. She’s a sweetheart and we are glad to have her.” Her favorite things are basketball and shopping. The SHS junior states, “It’s different at her school here compared to Finland. There we have more classes in one day - here we have block scheduling which is four classes a day. I like Finland’s school system because you see more people during the day and you have more variety of classes.” Raunela says her class sizes vary from 20-45 students per class in Finland depending on the class. “English is a required course so everyone takes it.” Raunela loves sports and is an avid water skier. “You would think it would be cold but it’s warm in the summer so I do it then” states Raunela. Her favorite foods here in the states are “spaghetti and steak.” You would think she would be lonely being so far away from home but that’s not the case. “I don’t miss my family as much as I thought I would because my host family is so nice and makes me feel right at home,” said Raunela.