This summer, the Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary Club will bring three youth to our town as part of Rotary’s Short-Term Exchange Program. Last summer saw the first of these exchanges, with our own MJ Martin returning from Italy with Virginia. These were the lovely young ladies who graced Rotary’s element in the Fourth of July Parade.
This year, Kingston’s Simon Campo will return to town with Marco Parolin. Together, they will have spent several weeks in Marco’s hometown of Romano d’Ezzelino, a small town about two hours from Venice. Marco, a student in the fourth year of a “Gymnasium” school, plans to attend Venice University, studying to become either an architect or a designer. He loves sports. First it was soccer before moving on to play rugby until an injury sidelined him. He is quite musical, played piano until his love of hard rock turned him to the electric guitar. He is also interested in modern art, especially the serious side of graffiti. That interest is a natural one as his town presents an annual graffiti festival. Marco has already traveled a great deal, including one visit to Vancouver Island where his father was born.
Marco and Simon will have a great deal to talk about. They are both interested in music, soccer, snowboarding and graphic design.
Our second guest, Esther Garcia, comes to us from a slightly warmer clime, a town on the Spanish Mediterranean Coast. She will have spent several weeks with Kingston’s Leah Van Lieshout, enjoying Esther’s hometown, Benejuzar, Alciente.
Esther has a vigorous academic schedule. Her daily classes include Greek, History and Latin. Twice a week, she takes classes in dancing and English. Esther is certainly ready to get the most out of her visit to Kingston. She tells us, “I usually don’t sleep much. Life is for living, not for sleeping!”
Rotary has done a great job in matching these two young ladies. I assume they will discuss the difference between Esther’s dancing and Leah’s cheerleading. Both girls have traveled before and seek to learn about a new culture and make new friends. Both share a love of music and a dislike for spiders!
Now, we turn our attention farther north as we plan to welcome Schirin Knott. who comes to us from Germany. She will arrive with Taylor Larson, the daughter of Kingston Rotary member Jessica Larson. The two girls will have spent several weeks together in Schirin’s home in Freising, a small city near Munich.
Schirin attends a Waldorf School that keeps her very busy from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. She already knows a great deal about life as an exchange youth — her family is now hosting exchange students from Brazil and the United States. That experience has reinforced Schirin’s drive to perfect her English. She will feel right at home with Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self. Her school class has been supporting a boy in Africa and provided books for a school in Kenya. Schirin’s favorite activities include babysitting. She sends some of her earnings to help support the boy in Africa. Her special skills involve sports, including swiming and climbing, but her passion is handball. She trains twice a week and competes on weekends.
Schirin and Taylor are a good match. They share a love for winter sports. It is too bad the snow will be gone — races between Schirin on skis and Taylor on her snowboard would have been exciting. They can certainly discuss the merits of handball compared to Taylor’s beloved softball.Keep your eyes open this summer as these three outstanding teens enjoy themselves in and around Kingston. If you have the chance to talk with them you will find them bright and engaging.
Help Kingston Rotary welcome them to our town.
