Since 1927, Rotary Youth Exchange has been giving students the opportunity to travel to different countries, with a broad range of about 128 active countries in the program. Sophomore Brody Warren will be a part of the exchange next year, traveling to Taiwan for 11 months starting in August. Warren has gone through an extensive process of preparation for this trip, facing many challenges along the way since he first expressed interest to his parents about three years ago.
“There were so many legal forms, a lot of signing up for visas and stuff like that. A lot of it I had to do completely on my own so it was really confusing. There were also tons of interviews and applications so they could find out more about me,” Warren said.
Students like Warren who are a part of the Rotary Youth Exchange do not get the chance to choose the country they go on exchange to. The country is chosen for them based on their preferences and the experience they want to have.
“They give you a questionnaire and they basically try to find out what you’re looking for in exchange. They determine the country based on how you answer it and they decided Taiwan was where I should go,” Warren said.
Rotary offers trips of different lengths in order to allow students to have more choice in the experience they want to have abroad.
According to the Rotary Youth Exchange website, “Long-term exchanges last a full academic year, and students attend local schools and live with multiple host families. Short-term exchanges last from several days to three months and are often structured as camps, tours, or homestays that take place when school is not in session.”
Although it is not completely necessary for students to know the language of the country they will be traveling to, Warren has made it a goal of his to be fluent in Mandarin by the time his trip is over.
“I have already been trying [to learn mandarin] but it’s like the hardest language for English speakers. It’s insanely difficult, there’s four different tones and if you say a word with one different tone, it could mean something completely different,” Warren said.
Trips like this can stay with students throughout their lives, creating lasting skills in leadership and communication, as well as building friendships and allowing young people to become true global citizens.
“I think [going to Taiwan] will make me more open minded and educated; hopefully bilingual as well. It will allow me to be more educated on a different culture,” Warren said.
