Rotary Exchange Program
A very Happy New year to Rockford Rotary. I hope this year proves to be an amazing one for the Rotary and may this org keep striving harder to work for the betterment of people.
I am Shivani Rai, a 2014 former exchange student from India who had an extremely wonderful time with Rockford Rotary which never ceases to make me feel as its girl forever ! My exchange has had a great impact on me in the way that I feel more confident about myself and it shaped and broadened my global perspective too.
I love interacting with people and now I get a better understanding of various cultures and different values around the world. RYE like it's said is a mini reflection of what this world stands for!
That we are all the same from inside no matter where we hail from and that one doesn't need to know the native language to communicate and make everlasting friendships!
My interest has always been in the field of medicine and I wish to serve UNICEF in some ways one day. I am a first year medical student in India, having an interesting time understanding human physiology and learning more about the medical ethics and what a doctor stands for.
From not knowing what rotary is to explaining to others about it's global as well as local projects impacting many lives, I feel so proud to be a part of the Rotary family now. I am grateful to all my awesome host families and my favourite YEO , Mr. Nelson for taking care of me like their own daughter, I can never forget how welcomed I felt back in the States.
I personally witnessed how you can always make time for social service out of your busy schedule. I know I still have lots to learn from what rotary is capable of and what I can do for others.
Looking forward to see you and the club someday soon.
This will be a most interesting and informative program about not only the Youth Exchange program, but how it helped Shivani grow into her current life. This will be a chance to invite a guest or prospective member to join our meeting. Simply show up at Memorial Hall or forward the Zoom Meeting information to them.
Kathy Kwiat-Hess who hosted Shivani for a few months will introduce her.