Caio Favoretto and Victoria Carpenito told the Stryker Rotary Club of their experiences in the Youth Exchange Program. Susan Mack brought Caio to the meeting as he is being sponsored from the Hicksville Rotary Club. Caio is considered a special request participant because both his brother and brother-in-law also came to Hicksville in prior years, so the Hicksville club has developed a tie with his family. Caio is from Brazil and is seventeen years old. While in school at Hicksville he participated in the high school football program. Unfortunately he sustained an injury in football that required surgery, and he said he was pleasantly surprised at the support he received from the club and the community. Victoria is being sponsored by the Bryan Rotary Club and is attending school in Bryan. Victoria’s home is in Belgium and she is eighteen years old. Victoria came to the meeting with Bonnie Kimpling-Kelly, who is on the Youth Exchange Program Committee for Bryan’s Rotary Club. Rotary District 6600 is one of several districts working together to operate the Youth Exchange Program. The program receives 90 students from many different countries, and sends 90 students to other countries each year. The students participate in either a short-term or long-term exchange program. Long Term students leave in August and return home in July so they are away for just under a year. Short-term students are away for a six to eight week period of time. Students who have participated all feel the program has been a great benefit to them as they have an opportunity to learn about other countries. The club also heard that many of these students develop lifelong relationships with host families. Pictured from left to right are Susan Mack, Caio Favoretto, Victoria, Carpenito, and Bonnie Kimpling-Kelly. The group spoke as a guest of Stryker Rotarian Ken Culler (not pictured).