Youth Exchange

Each year, the Rotary Club of Gold Beach has the opportunity to sponsor both an inbound and an outbound exchange student.

The inbound student arrives sometime in August and spends the school year with at least three Rotary families in the community while attending Gold Beach High School. Recent exchange students have come to us from Ecuador, Brazil, Columbia, and Switzerland.

The purpose of the exchange program is to promote the understanding of different cultures. Our exchange student attends our weekly meeting and shares their week’s experience with the club. During the year, the student also regularly meets with the other exchange students in the District, often forming lasting relationships.

The student often prepares a presentation about their home country for the club.

This year we are pleased to host Lia from Switzerland!

Recent Outbound students from Gold Beach have traveled as far as Brazil.

Rotary Exchange Students Over the Years.  Below are the students we have hosted.
1983 – Kuno Katto – Japan
1984 – Julia Sankalo – Finland
1986 – Janie Marshall – South Africa
1987 – Paula Pinto – Brazil
1989 – Jacob Bronner – Denmark
1990 – Carla Ferreira – Brazil
1991 – Miriam Branlich – Germany
1992 – Julien Lettilier – France
1993 – Anna Hovila – Finland
1994 – Fredirico Garcia – Mexico
1995 – Gail Smith – South Africa
1996 – Christina Imhof – Switzerland
1997 – Vincent Gneslan – Belgium
1998 – Katla Holejsvska – Slovakia
1999 – Jamie Box – Australia
2000 – Daniella Ruiz – Equador
2001 – Federico Gonzalez – Argentina
2002 – Diane Thake – South Africa
2003 – Delphine Vaudiau – France
2004 – Pri Aguiar – Brazil
2005 – Anna Hovila – Denmark
2006 – Gunnva Iila – Faroe Islands
2007 – Niko Echeverri – Columbia
2008 – Thibaut Ceuterick – Belgium
2009 – Michelle Bareno – Equador
2014 – Olivier – Belgium
2023- Lia Gasser – Switzerland

Look at all the Gold Beach  Rotary Exchange Students we have sponsored over the Years.  Below are our local students that have traveled through the exchange program.
1983 – Beth Hallmark, Brazil
1984 – Phillip Rose, Mexico,
1985 – Jeff Waltz, Sweden
1986 – Joe Mross, Mexico, Kari Flynn, Chile
1987 – Marci Giottonini, S. Africa
1988 – Tracy Wilson, S. Africa, Becca Ellenbecker, Denmark
1989 –  Wes Southard, France
1990 – Jodi Giottonini, Brazil
1991 – Carrie Crook, Sweden, Crissa Crook, Mexico
1992 – Tami Walker, South Africa
1993 – Cam Gardner, Finland, Ryan Spicer, Sweden
1995 – Lacy Westfall, Belgium
1996 -Rachael BRown, South Africa
1998 -Brooke Stuart, Brazil, Mae Culbertson, Belgium. Michelle Clary Australia
1999 – Molly OʼDwyer, Brazil, Kyle Ringer, S. Africa, Camilla Jakacky, Ecuador
2000 – LeAnne Genovese, Belgium, Rain Halcumb, Mexico
2003 – Laura Rysdall, South Africa
2005 – Dana Rysdall, Brazil
2023 – Emmett Hawthorne, Taiwan