Students exchange familiarity for a year abroad through Rotary

By Correne Martin

Two teenagers from different parts of the world became close friends in Prairie du Chien this past year thanks to the Rotary Youth Exchange program.

Kamryn Tesar, of Prairie du Chien, and Magnus Goltermann, of Ballerup, Denmark, are 16-year-old exchange students with quite similar interests and outlooks. Magnus came to Wisconsin in August 2016 and Kamryn will leave her hometown next month for Dounan, Yunlin County, Taiwan.

In March 2016, Kamryn, the daughter of Kim Corpian and Kevin Tesar, had been approved for an overseas exchange and, expressing a desire to know more about the program, became connected online with Magnus, who was soon to embark on his journey to the United States. Cheryl Mader, the Prairie du Chien Rotary Club’s youth exchange coordinator, helped bring the pair together. The two were fast friends; Kamryn even went along when Magnus was picked up at the airport last summer.

Magnus arrived in the U.S., with a group of about 25 other exchange students, Aug. 16. Upon going their separate ways in Chicago, he came to southwest Wisconsin. His host families, in order, included Mary Lausted and David Derksen, Lisa and Tom Peterson and Kathleen and Dale Hein.

Magnus said he wanted to be a Rotary Youth Exchange student in order to experience new opportunities. “I wanted to try stuff I wouldn’t be able to with my family in Denmark,” he explained.

In Prairie du Chien, he certainly got to do that. As a high school junior, he participated in cross country, wrestling and track and field. He also took the hunter’s safety course and shot a big doe and a nine-point buck. Just recently, he went backpacking with the Heins in Colorado.

“It’s also cool seeing places you wouldn’t normally see,” he said, “like a small town on the Mississippi River.”

Magnus is proud of how much he’s grown during his time in America, with communication skills in particular. Though he came here with just a few belongings, he’ll be taking a full backpack and a couple of suitcases back home when he leaves July 18. Once home in Denmark, Magnus can’t wait to have a Danish meal of open-faced sandwiches, Danish soda and his favorite Danish beer (there’s no age requirement).

Kamryn will leave the U.S. Aug. 24, for Taiwan, and plans to spend most of one year there until returning in July 2018. Her host parents are both teachers, Chinese and math, and she will have one younger sister. Her host brother is actually going on his own exchange during the same time period so he won’t be at their home.

“That’s very common in other countries, not so much in the U.S., but when one child leaves, it’s common for families in other countries to welcome their own exchange student,” Mader pointed out.

Kamryn said she’s a bit worried about the Taiwanese food, which looks to consist of clams, octopus and similar cuisine, but she plans to try a lot of it. She’s also looking forward to her school, which she’s been told involves many fun vocational classes such as hair and makeup, dancing and singing, and more.

“I’m ready for a change. Everything’s the same here. I want to meet new people,” Kamryn noted. “I’m most anxious to go shopping and speak their language. I hope to be fluent in Chinese.”

The Rotary Youth Exchange program has been very successful for Rotary International, according to Mader. “It’s one of the most well-respected and most affordable,” she said.

“In my district,” Magnus added, “they call it a luxury exchange.”

The U.S. exchange students come from slightly different cultural comfort levels than other countries, however. “We are very attached to our high school traditions, like prom and sports, and that is not the case in other countries,” Mader said.

Also, it’s a difficult transition, as Kamryn’s mom, Kim, shared. “As a parent, I’m supposed to trust that my kid is with another set of parents across the world.”

Mader said a key factor in the program is trust. There must be confidence in the integrity of the Rotary International institution and the fact that all Rotary districts operate under identical honest and longstanding beliefs. Faith in such, as well the rules and regulations of the program, is what eases families’ worries. In fact, in the U.S., the program is governed by the Department of State.

Rotary’s strict bylaws for inbound and outbound students and those in care of them make the passage easier on all involved. For instance, the students are not allowed to be in a room alone with a person over age 18 without those people having a background check. They also cannot share a room with someone of the opposite sex, a principal cannot host a student, etc. Usually, students traveling are between the ages of 16 and 18. The students, their parents and their host parents undergo an extensive application process before anything is approved.

To be accepted into the program, a student must fill out an 18-page application (in September). Then, Mader said, they write an essay that shows their maturity level and that they can stay away from home for a year without serious distress. They make a list of 10 countries they would accept placement into and 10 countries they would not accept. A background in foreign language oftentimes plays a part in placement. On the other side of the world, host families are sought for program acceptance and they are also subjected to a thorough application process.

“To some people, the processes might seem a little cumbersome but it’s all primarily for the safety of the students,” Mader stated. “Across the world, this is considered a form of diplomacy.”

Throughout the exchange year, inbound and outbound students in each region or country, depending on size and sparsity, attend mandatory conferences together. At these events, they mainly socialize with their peers and are apprised of the rules and expectations.

“The conferences also give outbound students a sort of feel for what the inbound students experience,” Mader said.

“We all become friends because we have a lot in common,” Kamryn said.

“The world just becomes a smaller place for the students,” Mader commented, “a place that’s not so scary.”

The Prairie du Chien Rotary Club’s last outbound student was Samantha Ruskey. Inbound students arrive every other year, and before Magnus, it was Vrushti Shah.