The Youth Exchange program of Rotary International literally changes lives. Not only for the exhcange students, but also for the members of the club and community who engage in hosting these exceptional young people in their homes for three to nine months. Here recently is a text received by Bruna Mendonca Carneiro who was sponsored by the club in the 1990s. 

"Dad, I don't know if you and mom have the right idea of how much your are important to me and how much you influenced in my life to became the woman I am today? I always talk about grandpa kelly and grandma penny to francisco and lately he have been talking about you and mom alot! 

The other day he was with both grandpas and i said - son, you have both grandpas together! He looked at me and said, yeah mom, but grandpa kelly is missing!"

This amazing programs enrich the lives of those who participate and changes the world by making it just a little bit smaller, a little bit closer, and a whole lot better!  

The club has sponsored over 50  exchange students over the years (25 outbounds going abroad, and 25 incoming students). Here is an open letter from Anni to her host parents and club members, Stu & Sharon Richardson. 

Hi Sharon and Stuart!

You can't believe where I was last weekend! It made me think of you and Stuart and the West Jordan Rotary club and I thought I want to share my experience with you.

So about a month ago thisrotarian called me and asked if I could go and talk about my exchange year in Utah at this PETS training conference for rotaries. I went and talked about the meaning of my exchange and apparently many people liked my speech. After the speech the district governor Matti Poikolainen came up to me and said he really liked what I talked about and asked if I could go and give another speech at the district conference in April. I was kind of nervous about it because I had been to the district conference in Utah and there was a lot of people... But I decided to go and last weekend the district conference of the D1390 was held in Tampere and I gave a speech in English and Finnish about the future of Rotary and what my exchange made me think about Rotary. It was amazing and exciting and I'm really happy I went. I didn't know how to react when so many people came to thank me after my speech. Now they want me to start a Rotaract club in my city and I will find out how to do it and start it with a friend of mine.

I just want to thank you for everything you did for me during my exchange. I got an amazing gift from Rotary and I will be forever grateful for it. I really love all therotarians, they are such good people with big hearts. I'm so happy I got to do my exchange with Rotary so I got to know its values and what it's really about. I still love hanging out with exchange students in my city and I know all the rotary students here. This week I will go for a coffee with a French exchange student Adèle who will help me improve my French. I can't believe how amazing opportunities Rotary and my exchange has given me. And it's not just actual things I got but the courage to try new things. Thank you so much for it. I never thought I would talk in front of hundreds of people.

Please say hi to everyone in the Rotary club! I miss them and I will always remember them. Thank you for EVERYTHING!

Love you,

Anni