For decades, Rotary International’s Youth Exchange program has given young people the chance to explore the world, experience new cultures and build connections that often last a lifetime.
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The process, as Rotary youth co-ordinator Kelvin Rogash explained, has changed over the years to ensure students are truly prepared and committed to the experience.
“It’s really the student who starts the ball rolling,” Mr Rogash said.
Students usually find out about the program through Rotary events, advertising or word of mouth from others who’ve done it before.
They submit an online application, which starts the process.
“They’ve got to want to experience the culture in another country,” Mr Rogash said.
Students need to be aged between 15 and 18 while overseas — to meet the program’s criteria. Family support is also essential, as the exchange requires a full year’s commitment.
Cost is another factor. While Rotary offers some support, families need to cover expenses such as airfare and cultural trips. These trips, organised by Rotary, are a highlight for many students.
“Each country has a couple of trips,” Mr Rogash said.
“For example, Karolina, who’s here from Slovakia, has been to the Great Barrier Reef and Phillip Island, and she’ll soon head to Central Australia.”
Sometimes, Rotary clubs and families split these costs to help make the program more affordable.
Experiences across the globe
For students such as 16-year-old Mimi Ford, the excitement of starting an exchange is palpable. Mimi, who left for Spain on January 18, spent nine months getting ready for her trip.
“I’m really excited,” she said.
“I’ve been working on my Spanish.
“I’m really looking forward to immersing myself in the culture, especially the dancing, the food.
“And I’m really looking forward to being able to communicate in a different language.”
Mimi will spend the next year in San Javier, a small coastal town near Murcia.
Karolina Kolenciak, who arrived in Australia from Slovakia last July, said her exchange has been full of travel and discovery.
“I went on a boat trip to Airlie Beach, which was really good because I got to know the other exchange students here in Victoria,” she said.
Karolina has also visited the Great Barrier Reef and New Zealand, and has a trip to the Northern Territory planned. While she enjoys Australian food, she misses the flavours of her home country.
“My favourite Australian food is quiche or egg and bacon pie,” she said.
“But in Slovakia, we have proper dishes and meals that I can’t prepare here because we don’t have the ingredients I would need for it.”
For Zoe Van Maavenberg, who returned from a year in the Czech Republic on January 17, the exchange was unforgettable.
“The highlight of my experience was probably my Euro tour,” she said with stars in her eyes.
“I travelled with 40 other exchange students from around the world on a bus for two weeks and we caught a boat from Italy to Spain.
“This was absolutely incredible.
“It was just the best experience — I had free time, but lots of tours at the same time to just roam around but also learn a lot of knowledge and understand who built the Colosseum, the gladiators, what was happening.
“This was just my favourite part.”
But what did she miss most while away?
“I would say it’s really challenging for other people to understand,” she said.
“But I would say after the first three months, the missing kind of goes away..
“Everything here (in Australia) it was like, ‘Oh, 250 days, 100 days, 50 days, two weeks’, you know, until I would see it again, until I would have it back.
“For me, this wasn’t so challenging that it was a miss, because I knew I would have it again.
“I knew I would see it again.
“I would say I miss my family there (her host family in the Czech Republic) more now because it’s an unknown time when I’m going to see them again.
“I would say in reverse, it’s harder missing what’s actually there and what I don’t know that I’m going to go back to and when I’m going to go back to these people and this life.”
Looking ahead, Zoe is considering studying abroad.
“I don’t know if I want to permanently live in the Czech Republic again,” she said.
“But I want to go to university abroad.
“So, I graduate next year, and after that, you know, I’ll see what happens.”
Zoe believes more people should know about exchange opportunities.
“I think everyone should get the opportunity to experience what I experienced,” she said.
“(An exchange) really changes your life.
“I would say it’s not a year of your life; it’s a lifetime in a year.
“The people you meet, the experiences you have, everything you live, […] it’s a whole life experience in one year.”
An opportunity worth exploring
Student exchange programs offer young people a unique way to learn about the world and themselves. Beyond the travel and cultural immersion, participants often discover new strengths and perspectives. Whether it’s mastering a language, adapting to new environments, or building connections across borders, the experience stays with them long after they return home.
For students such as Mimi, Karolina, and Zoe, it’s not just about visiting another country; it’s about growing and seeing the world through a new lens.
Cadet journalist