NORWICH – A local youth recently returned from her travels abroad as a part of a foreign exchange program, and shared her experiences of life overseas as a student during a presentation last week.
17-year-old Brooke Anderson of Norwich has had aspirations of traveling from a young age, and as luck would have it, applying for a spot in the Rotary Youth Exchange became an opportunity of a lifetime.
“Once I was accepted into the program, I was tasked with choosing five destinations that I'd like to live for almost a year,” explained Anderson. “I was very lucky to have been awarded my second choice: France.”
Every year, more than 8,000 students apply in the Rotary’s Youth Exchange program. Serving as just one of the philanthropic organization’s arms, the exchange program is aimed at diversifying culture amongst the young population.
“I spent the majority of my time in the community of Langres, which is in the Champagne-Ardenne region of northeast of France,” explained Anderson.
For ten months, Anderson lived in a foreign location and was faced with the daunting task of learning a new language out of necessity,
“I knew almost none of the French language when I arrived, which was a huge obstacle to get over. It took me more than five months to become fluent in the language where I could effectively communicate with my host families and school mates,” said Anderson.
During the presentation, Anderson offered a slide show of photographs that documented her travels while in France. She explained the differences between American and French-European lifestyles from a teenagers perspective, and she shared cultural differences on topics such as religion, education and holidays.
“There were so many cultural differences,” recalled Anderson. “I lived there through Christmas and Easter. Holiday traditions are much less extravagant, and Christmas is very different.”
While celebrating Christmas with a host family, Anderson was able to convince them to allow her to add an “American touch” to the holiday festivities.
“I put up stockings as we traditionally do here in the U.S., which was a foreign concept for them. I went out and shopped for stocking stuffers, just like at home, and they really enjoyed it. It was different for them.”
As one would expect, Anderson grew homesick from time to time.
“I spent a bit of time on the phone with my mother at times, but overall the experience was so worth it,” she added.
Another opportunity for a lengthy call home was on Thanksgiving Day when Anderson prepared the entire “American-ized” meal for her host family. “I was on my cell phone all day with my mother back home as she walked me through the whole meal,” said Anderson.
While there wasn't a turkey to be found for the meal, young Anderson improvised with a chicken.
In total, Anderson split her stay among four host families while in France, and gained a bit of French culture from each.
Anderson said, “My host families took me into Paris twice, The Swiss Alps, The French-Spanish Pyrenees – all up and down the eastern boarder of the country.”
While exchanges are a great experience for many youths, it is limited to ages 15–19. Students must have demonstrated leadership in their school and community and be flexible and willing to try new things.
Likewise, exchange students must also so be open to cultural differences and be willing to serve as an ambassador for their own country.
The mission of The Youth Exchange is simple: fostering global understanding.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life, and I suggest that anyone with the opportunity take it. You will have no regrets,” said Anderson. “I would also suggest learning some of the language as well.”