Rotary Youth Exchange Program

Since 1929, Rotary International has sent young people around the globe to experience new cultures. Currently, about 9,000 students are sponsored by Rotary Clubs every year. Typically, students are sent to another country for a year-long stay, generally living with multiple host families during the year and being expected to perform daily tasks within the household as well as attend school in the host country.

From 1958 to 1980, the Club participated in a summer exchange program.

Apparently, the first year for the Lancaster Rotary Club to participate in the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program was 1974-5. The inbound students were Aleke Schemmert, of West Germany and Jumana Ramadan of Jordan.

In 1980-1, the inbound student was Hannu Savolainen, a 17-year-old from Finland.

In 1981-2, Margot Rogers, daughter of Myke Rogers, became the first outbound Exchange Student sponsored by the Lancaster Club to be accepted for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. She spent a year in India. Our inbound student was Mitsugi Mukoyoshi of Japan.

In 1982-3, our outbound student was Mary Regina to Denmark.

In 1984-5, our inbound students were Francisco Vasconez, 18, from Ecuador, and Nathalie Boen, 17, from Brussels, Belgium. Both matriculated at Manheim Township High School as seniors.

In 1985-6, our inbound students were Johanna Behrend of Lemgo, West Germany, and Andreas Tam, of Puebla, Mexico. That year a member of the West Germany Bundestag, Herr Werner Weis visited the Lancaster Club. As Weis delivered his talk in German, his remarks were translated by Rotary Exchange student, Johanna Behrend, and Peter Heim, of Lancaster.

In 1986-7, our inbound student was Carolina Pardo of Venezuela.

In 1989-90, inbound students came from Germany and France, while outbound students went to the Republic of South Africa and Thailand. In 1992-3, inbound students came from Denmark, Mexico and Chile, and outbound students went to Indonesia, Germany and Belgium

In 1993-4, inbound students came from Belgium and France, and an outbound student went to Thailand.

In 1994-5, there were three outbound Rotary exchange students: Will Hunt to Japan, Stacy Brown to Ecuador and Erin Nesbit to Turkey. Two inbound students were hosted: Tugba Isik from Turkey and Tsuyoshi Nagai from Japan.

In 1995-6, inbound students came from Germany and Croatia and an outbound student went to Brazil.

1997-8, there were two inbound Exchange students, from Brazil and Belgium.

In 1998-9, there were two inbound exchange students, a girl from Brazil and a boy from Belgium.

In 2000-2, the exchange program had an unusual experience when difficulties caused one boy to return early to Brazil. But Oleksandor Kotut from Ukraine had a successful year and became a popular speaker at the weekly luncheons.

In 2004-5, there were two outstanding students from abroad. Wayne Mutata from Zimbabwe charmed and won many friends with his smile and sense of humor. Laurent Cromlin from Belgium was equally adept at fitting in with his peers and with Rotarians.

In 2006-7, students were outbound to Ukraine, India, Mexico, France and Poland while the Club hosted a student from Japan .

2009-10, Adrienn Biro visited from Hungary. 2010-11, Pilar visited from Chile.

In 2011-12, Eduardo Nobriega from Brazil was our exchange student at McCaskey.

In 2013-14, Queralt Batle, a 17-year-old from Spain, was co-hosted with Lancaster-Northeast.

In 2014-15, we hosted a student from Ecuador.

In 2017-18, we hosted Leopold Merz from Germany.

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