Rotary Club of Indianola has been involved with Rotary Youth Exchange since the 1960's. When travel restrictions and other issues created reluctance by host families to participate the Club was unable to host inbound students. Club officials are working diligently to restart the inbound program for the 2024/2025 School year.This year the Club approved an application for outbound studies for a local student. Norah requested and was approved to study in France for the 2023/2024 School year. Nora left home the last week in August, arriving at her destination with two other out bound students, one from Japan and one from New York City. Norah is really looking forward to learning about new cultures, perfecting her language skills and studying in France.
January 2024 Update
Je vous promets que je n'écrirai pas toute cette lettre en français...
It's been a surreal few months for me in France, a time full of discoveries, emotions, and connections. There are times when I feel completely adjusted and right at home, and then all at once, I'm reminded of how radically different my new way of life is.
I've done lots of exploring in nearby cities, including Nancy, Strasbourg, Europa Park in Germany, and most recently, a school trip to the Netherlands, visiting Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, all incredible cities! It was bizarre to travel with students my age who were so used to traveling to far away, big cities like that.
The return to school after break has reminded me how much progress I have made so far in my language skills but that the only thing I need to do to improve is keep trying!
I am unbelievably grateful for this opportunity that you have provided for me and can't wait to see where it takes me.
Bien sincèrement,
Norah Leuwerke
November Update
Norah has settled in and is very much enjoying her family in France. They have taken her hiking quite a bit as they live in a beautiful mountainous area. She’s trying many new foods and loving the fresh breads, seafood, sweets, and cheeses. They visited Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg (a castle), went to a fancy restaurant in Nancy, one of the larger cities in her region, and went to a local festival with some friends from school.
She is going on a week-long class trip to Amsterdam next month. She has joined a local community singing group and is performing some Christmas concerts. She is doing well in school, becoming more fluent in French. Definitely being challenged taking philosophy, history, and Spanish courses in French. She enjoys her English classes giving presentations sharing about Rotary and America. She is so thankful for Indianola Rotary sponsoring her for this amazing experience. Rotary Remiremont is the name of her club in France if anyone is interested in learning about them or following them on Facebook.