Share Your Experience

“It wasn’t perfect, but it was real and that’s what made the memories unforgettable.” -Sarah Fernandes from Brazil

“It’s really the best year of my life”- Diya Gadgil from India

“ To spend a year filled with love, learning, experiences, and life changing memories is one of the greatest privileges I have had. The friends and family, language, and incredible experiences have shaped me and changed me in all the best ways. Rotary Youth Exchange has given me the chance to live a life of memories in just a year.
-Daniel Shedd

“Getting to spend a year abroad was truly the best thing that has ever
happened to me. I learned a new language, immersed myself in a new culture, and gained family and friends I will love and cherish forever. This experience has shaped me in ways I could have never imagined, and I am infinitely grateful for it.” – Grace Lowrance

“From 2023 to 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to live in Alicante, Spain—a vibrant port city on the Mediterranean that couldn’t have been more different from the small Midwest town I came from. The change of pace was eye-opening in the best way. I learned how to be more independent, how to navigate a new culture, city and how to connect with people from all walks of life. The food, the language, the energy—it was all so new, and I soaked up every bit of it. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that changed my life in so many ways. I don’t go a day without thinking about my experience.’’ – Violet Conway

“My gap year abroad changed my life for the better. I now perceive people differently, want to learn about different cultures, and have the desire to see the world more. My favorite thing during my exchange year was going on a 10-day boat trip through the Amazon Rainforest.”- Kennedy Brooks

One of the things I thought about a lot before going on exchange was how I would make friends. I heard from other exchange students that I should join sports and clubs and friends would come naturally, and it was true. I loved it. Getting involved was definitely one of the better decisions that I made.

You have to make a lot of decisions for yourself on an exchange. You grow more mature, and you become a lot more independent because you are not around your family at home. I met a lot of challenges, I think every exchange student does, but I definitely became more confident in myself.

My advice is to challenge yourself. Don’t be afraid to say yes. I feel like I learned to live in the present, so when I came home I was more aware and I remembered to really appreciate everything that I have. That’s one of the things I value from my exchange.

You will only regret the opportunities you didn’t take. There will always be something that you’ll look back on and think, why didn’t I do that? But opportunities lead to other opportunities. Just take control of your own exchange and make the best of it, that’s really important.

I was worried my friends and family would miss me too much, and that could have an impact on my exchange. But time flew! I was always busy with new things to discover and sharing time with my host families and new friends. I didn’t have time to feel nostalgic about my life in Belgium.

Going on exchange helped me become more independent, adaptable, and open minded. I realized how much beauty we can find in what’s different.

I had a whole year to understand a culture that is different from mine. Now, I’m always very interested in understanding other people’s feelings and their vision of the world.

I came back from my exchange as a different person. I’m more responsible now, with more confidence and maturity, less timidity, and I have a new vision of life. I was surrounded by so many great people and it wouldn’t have been possible without the Rotary.

I met amazing people from all around the world and we really created a family. I have so many good memories with my people, and I know I will never forget them. These relationships are made forever!

My counselors were really protective and took care of me so generously! I knew I wasn’t alone and could count on them. My district chairwoman was always taking care of the exchange students like we were her kids, and she was always smiling and happy! Thank you Rotary!

One of my best memories is when my mom visited me and we got to visit her host families from 30 years ago. I really enjoyed seeing new places but mostly meeting those amazing people. Nothing had changed between them and my mom even after all that time.

Meeting other Rotary students in my exchange area was special, because we were having the same experience. We had the same feelings about everything that was going on. Plus they were from a different home country, so we could work to learn the new language together.

I feel more open about the world and the people that live in it. Meeting so many people from different countries made the whole world seem more real. That made a great impact on me because I think we should all learn about what’s going on in the world.

Studying abroad made me less shy and more open to making contact with people. It made me feel like a part of something. And even now, when I meet people who tell me they went on an exchange, it feels like we’re all part of something bigger, and that’s really awesome.

My host families were so welcoming to bring me into their home. They also sent a student on exchange, so they really understood what my parents would be going through and what I was going through too. I feel like we were really connected right from the beginning just because we all understood that experience.

One of my biggest concerns before leaving was not being able to make friends, but now I don’t know why that was a fear. Everyone was so welcoming! And the teachers were all really supportive of us and excited to have us there. Actually school ended up being one of my favorite things about my exchange.

It was hard getting used to being in another country, but I was able to start relying on the people around me instead of my parents for emotional support. Any time that I did struggle with homesickness and missing friends, I had my host family to talk to about it. So that was handled very, very well.

I feel like before my exchange I could kind of relate to other people. I could see the world from a different political party’s view or from a different religious view, but all American. Now I feel like I can see the world from the viewpoint of people from other countries too.

I realized that if I don’t reach out and do things, the experiences are not coming for me because everyone thinks that I’m just another student. So I had to challenge myself to socialize and talk to everyone, and I made so many friends that way.

The first thing that I asked myself is – am I brave enough to go out by myself? But my exchange made me braver. It’s made me more independent, and I think that it made me realize how important it is to just go for it.

My exchange helped me to be a better leader, and to be more helpful in my family and in my school. I learned how to speak another language fluently, but it’s not just that. You make connections. You make friendships. You make a lot of experiences and memories that are like gold.

I always say that now my family’s not here. It’s not just here, it’s all around the world. And that’s something I think everybody has to experience once in their life. Yeah, it can be scary, but you’re going to be with people that really help you, and that’s amazing.

They say there is a reverse culture shock whenever you come back, because you will have changed a lot too. Now I feel like I’m half American, half Belgian with my values and how I see things. My exchange made a big impact on my perspective on the world.

Honestly, my exchange has influenced everything in my life. It changes your connections, can impact where you want to live, and help you decide what you want to do with your life. It changes everything.

I’ve been back to visit since my exchange, and it’s really like visiting family members. These are people I lived with for so long, and they were like actual parental figures, brothers, and sisters to me. When you live with each other for long enough, and have great memories together, it feels like family.

Don’t let that language barrier get in the way of doing things that you want to do. The best way to learn is by putting yourself in situations where you don’t have another option. Just take as many opportunities as you can, and those communication skills will come naturally.

The number one thing is – if you’re struggling, just ask for help. Someone, in some way, is going to try and figure out how to make it easier and better for you. That’s exactly what happened in my exchange. All you have to do is just ask.

One of the greatest things I gained is my fellow exchange friends. You get to share experiences and it was really comforting to have people that knew exactly what I was going through. Now they’re some of my best friends. Nothing brings two people together like going through the exact same thing at the same time.

When I was on exchange I really started thinking about my impact on others and the ways I could have an effect on someone. I thought more about how I wish people would treat me, and how I should treat people new to our country. You realize kindness is powerful, and empathizing with people can really be your greatest superpower.

If you don’t think you can do it, do it anyway. Every single person will gain new experiences, and it just helps you grow so much as a person. It’s always a really cool conversation starter. Plus you are going to have bragging rights for the rest of your life.