Rotary Youth Exchange student wants to share Cajun culture

By PAUL KEDINGER
Managing Editor

Scott, one of three Acadiana students who will soon embark to a foreign host country for a year under the auspices of the Rotary International’s Youth Exchange Program, was the special guest of the Rotary Club Thursday, Aug. 17.
Due to U.S. Department of State regulations, the newspaper cannot reveal Scott’s surname or his hometown, explained Natasha Domagalski, youth exchange officer.
Scott told the Rotarians of his desire to share the culture of South Louisiana with the three families he will stay with during his year-long visit to Brazil.
He departs August 1 for Aracaju in the Brazilian state of Sergipe, which he described as a coastal beach area of the country.
In preparation of his departure, Scott has been studying Portuguese, the national language of Brazil. He noted he plans to focus much of his attention on learning the new language, even though his first Rotary host family speaks English.
A recent high school graduate, Scott said he will most likely be placed in a junior high school level class in Brazil. He explained Brazilian schools conduct classes in three-month sessions, with three month-long breaks at Christmas, Easter and in the summer.
While in Brazil, he added he hopes to take a tour of the Amazon.
Asked what prompted him to consider a youth exchange, Scott  traced his interest to a presentation on the Rotary program when he attended a Rotary Youth Leadership Award program at Lake Fausse Pointe State Park.
In addition to Scott, two other Acadiana youth will participate in exchanges to Italy and France, respectively.
In other business, President Kyle Broussard announced the board decided to donate $250 to the lunch program conducted by the Lafayette Association of Retarded Citizens (LARC) at Acadian Village.
The board, he added, also discussed taking a continued support of LARC as a major club community project.
Broussard also reported the Rayne club has been asked to assist the Crowley Rotary Club, the host club of District Governor Ezora Proctor, with the food fest event at the district 6200 conference in April, 2015.