Youth Exchange program: Yuko from Japan
YOUTH SERVICES 1991-1992 Youth Exchange Program Report
YUKO ASANO
The Youth Exchange programme is one of the most rewarding projects in the rotary Year. It gives the opportunity for students to study overseas for a year where they can learn a new language and experience a different way of life. The experience gained is of great benefit in their future studies, their future workforce opportunities, and their adult life. Experience shows that these students make friendships and bonds which continue on long after their exchange year.
Our Exchange Student from overseas for the year 1991-92 was Yuko Asano sponsored by the Rotary Club of Suzuka, Japan. Our representative to Japan, Donna D’Souza, was hosted by Yuko’s sponsor club. Yuko created an enormous impression amongst the members and families of this club. There was hardly a dry eye during her parting speech, given with honesty and sincerity.
Pascoe Vale introduced the process of each member of the club having the opportunity during one week of the year to entertain the student. During that week the allocated member could entertain the student for an evening meal, a day tip or a week-end away. Past President Frank Drever showed true “Aussie Spirit” by taking Yuko to the football, an afternoon in the outer at Prices Park, and to top it off a can of coke and a meat pie. I believe that this ‘sharing’ of the student not only lifts some of the burden from the host family, it also gives other members and the student the opportunity to get to know each other.
Kylie Slane was selected as the outgoing Student for 1992-1993. Kylie is the daughter of Past President Brian and wife Dot. Due to selection problems, Kylie was not afforded the same amount of time to prepare for her twelve months overseas as other selected students, and was not afforded the choice of countries because a student from Japan had already been selected. The reports from Japan show that Kylie has acquitted herself very well and settled down in her host country, Japan. Kylie is displaying herself as a very good ambassador for this club. I know that Brian and Dot are very proud of her.
The Youth Exchange Committee has just completed its selection for the Year 1993-1994 with Camilla Holdstock being nominated to represent Pascoe Vale.
Reference: 1991-1992 Changeover Bulletin, Exchange Report, Peter Toomey
YOUTH SERVICES 1990-1991 Youth Exchange Program Report
YUKO ASANO: Our Visiting Exchange Student from Japan
Yuko arrived in Sydney on the morning of 3rd April 3rd and met by the D’Souza family, her first host family, with whom she spent the rest of the week-end in Sydney to give her an opportunity to see Sydney before coming to Melbourne on the 7th April. On the 8th April a number of Pascoe Vale Rotarians took the opportunity to meet Yuko and, at the same time, help her to celebrate her 18th birthday.
Yuko is a quiet, softly-spoken girl who hails from Suzuka in the Mie Prefecture of Japan. Suzuka is the home of the Motocycle and Formula 1 Grand Prix racing in Japan. In the short time Yuko has been in Australia, she has endeared herself to many people, particularly the members and their wives and families of our Pascoe Vale Rotary Club.
Yuko has settled into year 11 at the Pascoe Vale Girl’s High School. While she is finding the work difficult, she is enjoying the school, staff and pupils very much indeed, and is working hard to learn as much of our system and culture while she is in Australia.
As the result of a number of outings, Yuko has enjoyed time with various Rotarians and their families, she has been able to visit the Red Hill Market, on Mornington Peninsula, Mount Macedon, Baringo Wild Life Sanctuary, New Gisborne, Torquay, a visit to Sovereign Hilll in Ballarat and has dined at an Australian-Japanese restaurant. She has also spent some time at Anglesea, and has seen parts of the Bellarine Peninsula. Local sights she has visited include the Shrine of Remembrance, Victoria Market, the Arts Complex, Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary. She is fascinated by the Platypus, Koala and Wombat. She has enjoyed movies, dined in the homes of our Rotarians, and attended the recent VCE party at the Exhibition Building. A very hectic program indeed.
On a more regular basis, Yuko has been taking Horse-riding lessons, which she is most enthusiastic about and thoroughly enjoying.
Yuko is about to move, on the 21st June, to her second host family, namely Dot and Brian Slane and their daughters. Other host families with whom Yuko will be living with, will be the Toomey and Wilson families.
Reference: 1990-1992 Changeover Bulletin, Youth Exchange Program
Ian Davey, Exchange Student Counsellor