er
another positive casualty
from its irresistible
charm. Giovana
Siqueira, a 16-year-old
Rotary exchange student
from Campinas,
Brazil considers this
community her home
away from home.
She originally
learned about the
Rotary exchange program
a few years ago
from a friend of the
family who was an exchange
student herself.
“I thought it was
amazing,” Giovana
said.
“Three years later I
chose Rotary because
it gave a more human
experience. I also liked
the thoroughness of
the screening of exchange
students, they
really wanted to chose
the right people.”
But where to go
in the entire world?
Giovana wasn’t sure
until she attended a
Nations Fair in her
city.
“I was interested in
many countries, but
Canada really stood
out,” she said.
“I did a lot of research
and talked to
people who’d been
to Canada. They all
said how the people
are very kind-hearted
and besides I liked
your prime minister.”
She also discovered
in her research that
Canada was a very
diverse country and
that’s something she
really admires.
Giovana was coming
from a city of one million
to a community
of about 12,000,however
she said that was
a plus for her.
“I like that you get
to know so many people
and Quesnel is so
peaceful and safe,” she
said.
“In Campinas people
don’t go out at
night, especially teenaged
girls. There’s a lot
of conflict in Brazil.”
As she prepared for
her year-long Rotary
exchange, Giovana
said she didn’t set any
big goals.
Her first day at
school she admitted
she was shaking and
scared, however, once
she entered her home
room and found her
teacher was a Spanish
teacher (Giovana’s
native tongue is
Portugese but Spanish
is close enough
for communication)
and her first class was
theatre, her passion,
the 16-year-old never
looked back.
“I met the girl whose
now my best friend
and I’m enjoying
school,” she said.
The transition to
Quesnel was made easier
for Giovana as her
mother, for reasons
unknown to Giovana,
had placed her in
English classes at the
age of four years and
continued for 10 years,
her English is almost
flawless.
“I like how the English
language flows,”
she said with a smile.
Giovana says she’s
not experiencing
much homesickness
as she keeps very busy
and texts her parents
often. She is embracing
the exchange and
loving it.
“We all know how
good this experience
will be for me, so that
has helped me,” she
said.
As for her parents,
they also have an exchange
student staying
with them, in fact she’s
sleeping in Giovana’s
bed.
“She looks like me,
my age, my hair colour,
before I left for
Canada we spent a little
time together and
we were mistaken for
twins, so my parents
aren’t suffering,” she
said with a laugh.
Giovana is here until
sometime in July and
so far she’s pleased
with her accomplishments.
She was successful
in landing the
lead in the Spring Theatre
musical production
In the Heights,
has been achieving
good grades and
made many friends.
Although she hasn’t
made her post-secondary
plans, she hopes to
pursue a career in the
theatre.
“I hope to attend
university in Canada,
I like the style of
schooling here, even at
the high school level,”
she said.
Giovana’s loves her
current host family,
Julie Giesbrecht and
her husband and children.
“They are awesome,
the kids, the parents
the atmosphere.”
If she could provide
words of wisdom for
other students considering
the Rotary
Exchange program,
Giovana, with an instantly
enthusiastic
response said, “Do it.
It’s worth it. No matter
how scary, the cultural
experience takes
life to another level.”
No matter where life
takes Giovana she will
always love Quesnel.
“The community
opened its arms and
welcomed me like no
where else could. It
feels so familiar, like
I’ve lived her my whole
life.”
She also had high
praise for the Rotary
Exchange program.
“Rotary is great, the
organization has a different
way of sending
you on your exchange,
they make sure you
have a nice place to
stay and are always
checking to make sure
you’re doing okay. I
like how they manage
the exchange as a
whole.”
Since 1972, Quesnel
Rotary Student Exchange
program has
seen 31 students from
all over the world
spend a year in the
community and 31
Quesnel students
have travelled to other
countries for the same
experience.
The first exchange
was with Jeanette
Cox from Australia
in 1972 and in 1974
Karen Burley from
Quesnel spent a year
in Australia.
Quesnel Rotary
funds the yearlong
outbound international
exchange student program
every second year
and currently they are
accepting applications
from students in Grade
10 – 12 for the 2018-
2019 year.
Visit www.quesnelrotary.
com and like their
Facebook page.
er
another positive casualty
from its irresistible
charm. Giovana
Siqueira, a 16-year-old
Rotary exchange student
from Campinas,
Brazil considers this
community her home
away from home.
She originally
learned about the
Rotary exchange program
a few years ago
from a friend of the
family who was an exchange
student herself.
“I thought it was
amazing,” Giovana
said.
“Three years later I
chose Rotary because
it gave a more human
experience. I also liked
the thoroughness of
the screening of exchange
students, they
really wanted to chose
the right people.”
But where to go
in the entire world?
Giovana wasn’t sure
until she attended a
Nations Fair in her
city.
“I was interested in
many countries, but
Canada really stood
out,” she said.
“I did a lot of research
and talked to
people who’d been
to Canada. They all
said how the people
are very kind-hearted
and besides I liked
your prime minister.”
She also discovered
in her research that
Canada was a very
diverse country and
that’s something she
really admires.
Giovana was coming
from a city of one million
to a community
of about 12,000,however
she said that was
a plus for her.
“I like that you get
to know so many people
and Quesnel is so
peaceful and safe,” she
said.
“In Campinas people
don’t go out at
night, especially teenaged
girls. There’s a lot
of conflict in Brazil.”
As she prepared for
her year-long Rotary
exchange, Giovana
said she didn’t set any
big goals.
Her first day at
school she admitted
she was shaking and
scared, however, once
she entered her home
room and found her
teacher was a Spanish
teacher (Giovana’s
native tongue is
Portugese but Spanish
is close enough
for communication)
and her first class was
theatre, her passion,
the 16-year-old never
looked back.
“I met the girl whose
now my best friend
and I’m enjoying
school,” she said.
The transition to
Quesnel was made easier
for Giovana as her
mother, for reasons
unknown to Giovana,
had placed her in
English classes at the
age of four years and
continued for 10 years,
her English is almost
flawless.
“I like how the English
language flows,”
she said with a smile.
Giovana says she’s
not experiencing
much homesickness
as she keeps very busy
and texts her parents
often. She is embracing
the exchange and
loving it.
“We all know how
good this experience
will be for me, so that
has helped me,” she
said.
As for her parents,
they also have an exchange
student staying
with them, in fact she’s
sleeping in Giovana’s
bed.
“She looks like me,
my age, my hair colour,
before I left for
Canada we spent a little
time together and
we were mistaken for
twins, so my parents
aren’t suffering,” she
said with a laugh.
Giovana is here until
sometime in July and
so far she’s pleased
with her accomplishments.
She was successful
in landing the
lead in the Spring Theatre
musical production
In the Heights,
has been achieving
good grades and
made many friends.
Although she hasn’t
made her post-secondary
plans, she hopes to
pursue a career in the
theatre.
“I hope to attend
university in Canada,
I like the style of
schooling here, even at
the high school level,”
she said.
Giovana’s loves her
current host family,
Julie Giesbrecht and
her husband and children.
“They are awesome,
the kids, the parents
the atmosphere.”
If she could provide
words of wisdom for
other students considering
the Rotary
Exchange program,
Giovana, with an instantly
enthusiastic
response said, “Do it.
It’s worth it. No matter
how scary, the cultural
experience takes
life to another level.”
No matter where life
takes Giovana she will
always love Quesnel.
“The community
opened its arms and
welcomed me like no
where else could. It
feels so familiar, like
I’ve lived her my whole
life.”
She also had high
praise for the Rotary
Exchange program.
“Rotary is great, the
organization has a different
way of sending
you on your exchange,
they make sure you
have a nice place to
stay and are always
checking to make sure
you’re doing okay. I
like how they manage
the exchange as a
whole.”
Since 1972, Quesnel
Rotary Student Exchange
program has
seen 31 students from
all over the world
spend a year in the
community and 31
Quesnel students
have travelled to other
countries for the same
experience.
The first exchange
was with Jeanette
Cox from Australia
in 1972 and in 1974
Karen Burley from
Quesnel spent a year
in Australia.
Quesnel Rotary
funds the yearlong
outbound international
exchange student program
every second year
and currently they are
accepting applications
from students in Grade
10 – 12 for the 2018-
2019 year.
Visit www.quesnelrotary.
com and like their
Facebook page.