Rotary Exchange students experience new cultures

By Carrie A. Mizell

Tenth grade students from Germany and Belgium told Trenton Rotarians on Monday that they have developed a love for Skittles, Mountain Dew and Sea World while visiting the United States.
Tubing on the Suwannee River is a lot of fun too!

Rotary Exchange participants are shown back row, left to right: Alec Rolling, Johannes Kuemmerle, Hunter Williams, Georg Von Babo, Jonathan Smith, Harald De Bondt, Bill Cummings, Stephen Jones, Michael Faught and Ed Philman. Front row, left to right: Alyssa Hodge, Antonia Elent, Stefanie Dambacher and Robin Lyles.

Lots of great memories were made and friendships formed between 10th grade students from Gilchrist County and their foreign counterparts over the last several months.
Like Hunter Williams and Johannes Kuemmerle. While visiting the United States, Johannes went red fishing in the Gulf and managed to snag a bull shark.
“You should have seen the look on his face!” Williams recalled with a laugh.
In turn, Hunter said he made some great memories while visiting Europe.
Sure, getting up at 6 a.m. and walking a mile to school wasn’t his favorite, but seeing snow for the first time in his life atop the Swiss Alps was memorable.
“It was the best trip I’ve ever had in my entire life!” Hunter told Rotarians on Monday.
In Germany, Americans are perceived as fat; and Germans believe that all Americans live in Miami, the Gilchrist County students explained after returning from the Rotary Exchange trip.
From traveling at 120 to 130 mph along the Autobahn and visiting ancient castles to eating delicious bread and divine ice cream, students from Trenton and Bell said the Rotary Exchange experience was one they will not soon forget.