Gabie is back from the USA

A YEAR in the United States on an Empangeni Rotary Club Youth Exchange Programme has come to an end for Gabriella Marais.

After matriculating in 2013, Gabie, as she prefers to be called, spend 2014 in Oshkosh, USA, with a number of host families.

Gabie’s exciting adventure started when she landed in Milwaukee, from where she travelled to her first host family in Oshkosh.

‘I was a little bit nervous, since it was my first time flying, however the power of the Rotarian jacket was marvelous.’ Gabie.

‘I was a bit overwhelmed by the size of OR Thambo airport, but an elderly gentlemen recognised my clothing and directed me to an exchange student that he had just been dropped off.

It made life so much easier having a partner to help with getting through all the checks and controls. It make me realise just what an incredible institution Rotary is, and how lucky I am to be a part of it.’

Gabie’s year exposed her to the American education system, which included subjects such as woodwork, chemistry, choir, music technology and even gave her the chance to be a laboratory assistant to one of the science teachers.

‘The school environment and curriculum are so diverse. There is something for everybody. It makes you feel like a kid in a candy shop,’ she said.

Rewarding subject

One of the more interesting and rewarding subjects, according to Gabie, was one called Communities. It involved examining and finding solutions to poverty in certain countries were it was needed the most.

On Gabie’s list of things to do was experiencing snow for the first time, and while she explained that she was ecstatic about seeing it, the freezing temperatures were a bit too much to handle.

‘I refused to go outside and build a snowman for my parents when they Skyped me,’ she laughed. ‘It was absolutely freezing!’

Itchy feet

While riding a bicycle and using public transport, Gabie was able to explore Oshkosh, from its three-storey library, to the theater where shows and plays are performed on a weekly basis.

‘It was such an incredible experience that broadened my horizons so much. It has given me itchy feet as far as travelling is concerned. I want to see as much of the world as I can and I would highly recommend the exchange programme to any high school pupil,’ Gabie said.

There are two options. The first is a 12-month exchange and the second is a six-week exchange called the family to family exchange.

For more information about the exchange programme, contact Bruce Edwards in Richards Bay on 082 8779480 or Denise Brook in Empangeni on 083 3246045.