Club members and family greeting Christian at Brisbane Airport. Photo: Supplied.
FROM THE ROTARY CLUB OF WYNNUM AND MANLY
President Robyn Schneidewin and several members of the Rotary Club of Wynnum and Manly welcomed their new exchange student from Denmark, Christian, to Australia in early September.
Christian is the 60th exchange student welcomed by the club since the program started in 1963. He will be hosted by four Rotary families in the Wynnum and Manly area until he returns to Denmark in July next year. While he is here, he will attend Wynnum State High School starting in Grade 11 this year.
Christian will join other exchange students currently hosted here on a tour of the State later in the year, thus providing them with a broader understanding of our country and culture.
The club has a proud history in hosting exchange students and was the first club in Queensland to host a student when the program started. The first student was Hideki Oka, a 16-year-old girl from Japan, and since then students have been welcomed from 21 different countries from all areas of the world – Europe, Asia, North and South America. The program has expanded across Queensland since that first tentative step, and Rotary Clubs in all parts of the State have hosted students from all over the world.
Many long-term friendships have resulted from hosting these students, and several have returned to visit the club from time to time to renew old acquaintances. Some of the club members have also enjoyed meeting former exchange students in their homes while on holiday abroad.
Each incoming student has been paired with a young person from Wynnum and Manly who has gone abroad for the year. Right now, we have Rebecca, a student from Wynnum State High School, staying with her host family in Chile and attending the local high school. She is enjoying the experience, and we expect her home early in 2027.
Club members are looking forward to introducing Christian to the Australian way of life, helping him enjoy it while he is here, and, at the same time, learning about his life in Denmark.
