I'm guessing there are some questions out there - and I'm sure a lot of them are very similar. So, I have a list of questions I frequently receive. If your question isn't answered, I would LOVE to answer it, so please ask me!
1.) What are you doing?
- I am participating in Rotary Youth Exchange. I will be living in Kielce, Poland for about ten/eleven months. I will be living with host families, going to a Polish high school, learning Polish, immersing myself in everyday Polish life and I'm hoping to travel some too!
- Rotary International is a service based organization that has clubs all over the world. There are over 1.2 million members who serve under the motto, "Service Above Self". Rotary Youth Exchange has been around for over 70 years and over 8,000 students study abroad each year, from about 80 different countries.
- I started out with a list of about 20 different countries to chose from. Because I am over 18 years old, I had a slightly limited list, though there were still more choices than I ever could want! After being accepted by District 5950/5960, I listed, in order of preference, 10 countries I would like to go to. Though I can't remember the full list, the first three countries were Argentina, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Ultimately, Rotary chooses for you and I ended up with Poland. But why was it on my list? I wanted to go somewhere off the beaten path, I wanted to learn a new language, I wanted to learn about my family roots (my grandmother's parents were from Poland) and I knew Poland had a interesting history.
- I am being sponsored by the Saint Paul Rotary Club #10, part of district 5950/590 and being hosted by the Rotary Club of Kielce, district 2230. I am extremely grateful for their support!
- Nie, nie mowie bardzo po polsku (No, no I don't speak Polish very well). I took a language class for a couple weeks and have been using Rosetta stone, so I know some basics, but nothing major. I can't wait to learn, one of my goals is to learn as much Polish as possible!
- No, I am not getting college credit. This is a high school program, meaning that I will be attending a Polish high school. I will be attending class and though I will be attempting the school work, grades ultimately won't matter, mostly because I have already graduated. I am going for the opportunity to be immersed in a new cultural and that in itself will be quite a learning experience! And yes, classes will be in Polish.
- I will be living with host families in central Kielce. For more information on Kielce, look at the links above.
- No, I will be staying in Poland for the entire time. Part of the experience is to taste, see and join in all of the Polish traditions, especially holidays!
