President Melanie Prole receives the flag of DSV’s inbound Exchange Student Kero Cit sponsored by the Rotary Club of Morretes Brazil. Jim Coleman serves as the Club Exchange Officer. Not shown is Kero’s support team of Youth Exchange Counselors, led by Helen Reese, Robin Kelley, and Pat Burgess. Kero is an accomplished guitar player and is extremely interested in culinary arts. This project began as a result of the club visioning the year before and is a shared project with the new Dougherty Valley Club of San Ramon. The Danville Sycamore Valley secured the student and funded the project and Daugherty Valley has provided the first host family, Lynnette and Scott Gerbert, for Kero. Kero will attend Dougherty Valley High School as a senior. The Interact Club at Dougherty Valley is sponsored by Danville/Sycamore Valley and they too have had an active hand in welcoming Kero and helping her feel at home in her host country.
Rotary International Youth Exchange sponsors more than 9,000 student exchanges globally each year. Although Rotary Youth Exchange is an amazing experience full of fun and excitement, there are rules to follow. Rotary Youth Exchange students are expected to follow the guidelines of their sponsor district (District 5160) and their host district (the district abroad). Before leaving in the fall students will attend an orientation meeting where they will be given a handbook outlining the expectations and rules of Rotary Youth Exchange.
