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With “ what a years it’s been” Matilda opened her final address to the club. 
It's a year that has gone by so very quickly and one in which Matilda got to visit more of NZ than most of her local contemporaries. She saw most of our coutry, learnt lots about our unique cultures and took an active part in Rotary Conferences in Queenstown and Rotorua. A highlight was the ten day South Island where all the excange students travelled as a group, formed friendships, shared experiences and in Matilda’s case also went sky diving and swimming with the dophins. As a student at Pakuranga College she entered whole heartedly into the life of the school joining the Jazz and Concert Bands, a football team and the dragon boat team. School also offered her the chance to try subjects she does not do at home in Vienna including Food Technology and Outdoor Education. The latter included mountain biking and scuba diving. One of the longer lasting impacts of a year long exchange to a different culture is the personal growth that students report and Matilda was no exception. “Uber der tellerand blicken” which she translated as meaning “thinking further than just about me and my neighbourhood”. She thanked the club for the wonderful opportunity that the exchange offered her and her host families for opening their homes to her. Given the current situation regarding the Rotary exchange program it is likley that Matilda will be our last student for the foreseeable future. On the bright side it’s great that our involvement ended with such a positive student |
