EMMA'S SPEECH

There are too many benefits gained from a year away for me to express them  easily in one short address, but I will try. Many people stare at me in awe  when I tell them that I went on exchange. They talk of how much courage it  must have taken to leave my family and friends in Australia and travel to  the other side of the world, to a new and strange country, but leaving it  all behind at the end of 12 months was the really difficult thing to do. It'  s so hard to explain to someone what it is to go from being a complete stranger, an outsider in a country, with no knowledge of the language or customs, to feeling like you belong and are a part of the culture, or what  it is to become so used to your daily life that in the end, you must leave  what has finally become normal and comfortable, and return home, to where  everything should be normal and comfortable, only to find that you have changed and must now learn to fit in with your family and friends again. It  does take courage to leave your home country behind, but you don't realise what you let yourself in for, and coming home can be so much harder, because  you have learnt so much.

  So, What is it that makes a good exchange? And why is it that much better to be a Rotary exchange student? I could spend my entire time here talking about the things which first come to mind - learning a new language,  experiencing a new culture, traveling and seeing new places, but to stop at  that point would simply not suffice, as I would miss the things which become really important by the end of the exchange. Before I left for my year away, the aspects I have mentioned were foremost in my mind. During the selection interviews and orientation process, they were what I identified as my aims and expectations for the year. When I received the phone call, telling me I would be going to Belgium I thought, 'Fantastic! I'm going to the centre of Europe, home of the headquarters of the European Union, home of chocolate and good food and beer! I'll get to learn three languages!' But now I know that, while these things may have been important, there were other things which had a much more lasting impact on my perspective of my life and the  world in general. Above all, the people I met and the various opportunities I was given were the things which really made my exchange year unforgettable.

A Rotary Youth Exchange is unique in several ways. Firstly, the selection  process is a lot more intense than for most other exchange programmes. It  really forces you to consider whether or not you are serious about taking  part, what your expectations are, and to face up to the problems which may confront you. It makes you think. I remember my first interview. One hour with a panel of three men, asking me questions about things I had never even thought of before, from my opinion on world matters, to the possibility of major disagreement with my counsellor. They wanted to make sure I could cope with exchange, and by the end I was more nervous than before!

Secondly, living with more than one family gives you more of a perspective on the culture and traditions of the country in which you have been placed. And most importantly, Rotary's level of support is completely unparalleled in other organizations, and I believe this is because of the voluntary nature of Rotary's participation. Most organizations will provide a counsellor at each end of the exchange, but in addition to this, Rotary provides a whole network of support, and this is very important. Not only does a student have their counsellor to turn to, but also each of the members of their club and of the committee in their district. One of the highlights of my exchange was most certainly my involvement with Rotary. It was so comforting to know that I could go to a meeting and the members would be genuinely concerned with my welfare and the details of my exchange, as well as being interested in my life in Australia and the challenges and differences I had encountered. I learned so much from talking to the members, spending time with them, even playing boules with them, and taking part in the various opportunities with which I was presented, from trips with other exchange students or visiting a partner-club with my host club, to district gatherings, including a very memorable district conference learning to dance to jazz, to a Rotary-organised talent show! It was not until the end of my exchange that I realised the value of the people I had met through these opportunities that had come my way, what I had learned from them and how much a part of my life they had become.

As an exchange student, you learn from the other exchange students. These people share your experiences, understand what you are going through and teach you about their cultures and lifestyles. They teach you to think about what is important to you and how true friendships are capable of spanning continents. Indeed, some of my closest friends now live as far away as Mexico and South Africa. They teach you to lose the schoolgirl mentality and realise that what others think of you doesn't matter if you believe in yourself. It may sound clichéd, but it is most certainly true. If the main aim of Rotary Youth Exchange truly is to promote international understanding through youth interaction, then I can think of no better example of this during my exchange than the tour of Europe organised by Rotary Belgium. On its face, this was a two-week holiday for 58 students, through 7 countries, but once underway, I realised that it was so much more. On my bus alone (and there were 4 busses), these students and their Rotary chaperones came collectively from 15 different nationalities, spoke 17 different languages and were on exchange in 7 different countries. So not only did Rotary give us the chance to see parts of various countries, they also gave us the chance to share our various cultures, experience various languages, and swap views on exchange in countries as diverse as India and Hungary. I had never understood the fierce American patriotism, until I saw first hand how students my age feared their flag touching the ground, nor had I believed in the genuine vitality and warmth of the Latin Americans, until I was dragged repeatedly into the aisles of busses and trains to learn how to dance!
 

But exchange is also about immersing yourself in the culture in which you have been placed, and you gain so much from the friends you make at school as well. It constantly amazed me that there were people at school with me who, while they had never been away from home and didn't completely understand my situation, still took the time to speak English to me when I first arrived, to teach me Dutch, comfort me when I was homesick, ask me questions and include me in all their activities. To take up such a challenge demonstrated to me what wonderful people the Belgians could be, and taught me that, while it is possible to still be lonely in a room full of people, friendship is an incredibly valuable thing. The friends that I made in Belgium also made me value those from Australia who kept in touch throughout the year and made me adamant to keep up contact across the world.

My host families can be put into the same category as these friends. They took up even more of a challenge, by taking me, a girl they knew nothing about, into their homes, teaching me about both the language and the culture, and treating me as one of their family. A good host family is an integral factor in a good exchange, and I was lucky enough to have 4 four fantastic families, who did everything from spending hours with me reading Dutch out loud, and taking me on trips to the Netherlands, or to Champions League soccer matches with an atmosphere unlike that of any Australian form of football, to planning a surprise birthday/farewell party three weeks before I left, with almost every member of all my host families together under one roof. These are incredible people, and each family taught me something different and new, just by including me in their daily lives and allowing me to explore in my own way. Under their guidance, I went from being a girl wanting to see the world, to being an individual, finally ready to face the world on my own. And that is what makes exchange so good. While the trips and opportunities are in themselves wonderful things, it's what you learn from the people and the experiences along the way that leaves a lasting impression.

Students who go on exchange are at perhaps the most formative stage of their mental development. It is during the late teen years, in the transition  between school and beyond, be it work or higher education, that students  develop moral ideas and world views which can last a lifetime. The normal  student would gain these views from teachers, parents and peers of the same culture, but an exchange student is given an incredible opportunity. That is, the chance to develop these views through seeing other places and interacting with a variety of other cultures, seeing in practice what at home they would only learn about in theory. In addition to this, they are given the chance to become independent in their views and opinions.

These are the underlying elements, but what makes Rotary's involvement so good is that, while providing the vehicle for such development, through the exchange programme itself, as well as various outings and gatherings, allowing interaction with people of all ages, they do not offer one specific exchange for everyone. Every exchange is different, making every experience different. Even the other student at my school did not have the same exchange as me, because she was from a different country, had different families and experienced different things. Exchange caters for all different types of people and brings them together to learn from each other. It doesn't matter where you go, you can still  learn and enjoy each day. Only the experiences themselves will be different.

So what were my experiences? And how have I changed?

The orientation process was fantastic, with 3 sessions giving us tips and allowing us to ask questions of the inbound students from our destination countries. A lasting memory of this was the story of the roller coaster of emotions which we would experience.

This is one thing which most certainly applied to my year. I had moments of joy and fun - learning to make waffles at school in order to raise money for the end of year celebrations, seeing Europe's ancient cities  by night, or simply chatting to friends at 6am at a train station, over a packet of Belgian fries with mayonnaise. But I also had moments of sadness throughout my year as well - being homesick because I had chicken pox, saying goodbye to friends I might never see again, and coping with bad news from home in Australia or the sudden death of my counsellor in Belgium. Whilst these moments were not so good, they were an integral part of my exchange and I know that I grew by dealing with them either by myself or with the support of my host families.

Before I left, I couldn't comprehend how long 12 months really were. In the weeks before leaving I would cry with my parents, but it wasn't until the final boarding call that I realised just what I was doing. I clung to my parents and changed my mind on the spot - I didn't want to go. But the flight with 30 other Australians heading to Belgium lifted my spirits a little and I looked to the year ahead.

Belgium was so different to home. So much smaller, faster, more crowded and noisier. I had gone from being a farm girl, with wide open spaces and mountains behind my house, living in boarding school and travelling 80 kms home every week, to being a city girl, dependent on the incredible public transport system and constantly surrounded by people, with a highway behind my house, where I rode the 1km to school every day on my bike. I was so scared of the language, of which I couldn't understand a word at first. I thought I would never learn it, that my throat just wasn't capable of making those sorts of sounds. But I did learn it, falling in love with the beauty of Flemish-Dutch in the process. I went to school, but I also travelled, seeing large parts of Europe with Rotary, large parts of Belgium with friends and, a special highlight, attending an ANZAC Day service at Ypres on the World War One Western front, learning so much about the history of my own country and leaving me in awe of the legacy the soldiers who fought in Europe had left, through the chance to visit the grave of a relative who had died whilst fighting there.

I finished the year as a completely different person. Not only had I learnt about the culture of Belgium, and the incredible cuisine on offer, I had actually learned even more about my own country and how we are perceived by the rest of the world, and I know that my patriotism for Australia grew enormously. The biggest change though, was in me as a person. I left Australia in January 2002, a shy, naïve schoolgirl with her Rotary smile, but I returned in January 2003, a completely different girl, with a Flemish accent which has since all but disappeared. I had become someone who was able to control her own decisions and I was ready to take the next step in my life. In fact, I had changed so much that my father felt it necessary to get my feet back on the ground by taking me bushwalking in the beautiful Tasmanian wilderness I had missed so much.

The learning curve is such a personal thing, but at the end of 6 months, it was explained to me in a very memorable way. I was told that exchange is about learning to live with yourself and others, learning who you are and what is really important to you. That it was about learning to make an effort to achieve your goals and not to waste the moments of opportunity that are given to you. My memories and perspective were shaped by my experiences and the people around me, giving me the best year of my life and something I couldn't easily forget. I cannot express my gratitude for all the benefits I have gained from my participation in the programme, as new ones become obvious every day.

And there are, of course, many lasting effects. I now approach issues with a more worldly view. I am more interested in affairs in all areas of the world, not just ones which affect Australia. I am much more confident and independent, from being forced to take the initiative, to introduce myself to people throughout the year and not be backward. The actions and opinions of my friends and family influence my own decisions much less now. I am more certain of what I want in life and have more energy to pursue it. In fact, before leaving for Belgium, I was enrolled to begin a degree in Science and Law at university upon my return, but during my exchange, I changed my mind, and I am now studying Arts and Law, focussing more on language and International Relations. I want to try everything! I believe that Rotary Youth Exchange taught me much more than a year at university or away on my own could ever have done, because it opened up unique opportunities and introduced me to so many different cultures. And every other student I have spoken with feels the same. Please continue your involvement in the programme. You are opening the eyes and minds of so many young people to the possibilities of the world, and bringing us that one step closer to the international understanding that the whole world is seeking. I thank Rotary for giving me this opportunity - and you, for listening to my story.

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