Talia Morones, Long Term Exchange Program Student

Talia Morones , a student at Valley School in Sebastopol has been chosen as a Rotary International Long-Term Exchange Student, sponsored jointly by the Petaluma and Healdsburg Sunrise Rotary clubs. Rotary has a long tradition of international student exchange, and this year District 5130 is sending 26 students as ambassadors from our country with the Rotary spirit. Our club has previously sponsored a short-term exchange program student, Yohme Jones, who spent a month in Holland and then shared her home with an exchange student from that country for a similar period of time last summer.

 

Pam Moulton reviewed the process of application, interviews, training, bonding with fellow "outbound" students and ultimately learning the name of the country where she will spend the year. During that year, outbound students are expected to cover their own expenses. They will live with three different families during that period of time, creating a much broader exposure to the culture of their host country than a simple one family/one-year program.

 

Talia gave us a very concise picture of her preparations and background for this adventure. She is in an independent study program, and although she is but 16 years old, she is a junior with "senior qualifications" in her school. She will lose an academic year while abroad, but does not feel that she will be behind in her studies as she completes her last year of school back in this country. She has been very active with 4H and FFA. She has taken leadership roles in each of those organizations. She resides with her parents in Freestone, a short distance from Dillon Beach, the Redwoods, and the Russian River.

 

Talia has had a lifelong interest in languages along with cultural awareness and history of the world and nations. She also has an interest in science, the fine arts, and in general enjoys any form of academic learning. She is inquisitive and forward thinking. She enjoys working in groups collaboratively, as well as for the sense of value that it instills within her. She is planning on enrolling at the Santa Rosa Junior College when she returns, with the ultimate goal of entering the University system in California.

 

Goals that she hopes to achieve through the exchange program are:

1.            Develop language skills in learning Swedish, her host family language. (She is already somewhat fluent in German as well as English)

2.            Develop oral as well as written communication skills that will assist with conveying knowledge and understanding to other people

3.            Increase the perspective that she has of culture and its diversity throughout the world

4.            Increase her knowledge of comparative education systems

5.            Develop an increased sense of self-confidence as she pursues all of these goals, particularly learning to think and speak in a new language.

 

Sweden was her first choice of countries. She has a great deal of knowledge already about the Swedish nation, its history and its current culture. She is particularly impressed with the openness of the society and the tolerance that they exhibit towards minorities and people who are different or from foreign countries.

 

At the conclusion of her talk she was given several flags representing the Rotary Club of Healdsburg Sunrise to distribute to Rotary clubs in Sweden that she will visit during the course of her studies abroad. We look forward to her having a wonderful experience and to learning about it when she returns.