Not even a missed connecting flight from Brisbane to Hervey Bay could take the smile off the face of French Rotary Youth Exchange Program (YEP) student Sidonie Sourice when she landed in Bundaberg yesterday.
Sidonie was greeted at the Bundaberg Airport by Rotarians from Childers who will provide host families during her stay.
East Bundaberg Rotarians were also on hand to welcome their YEP student from Italy, Lucas Zanella.
Despite a late arrival into Brisbane’s International Airport and her missed connecting flight to Hervey Bay, Sidonie was delighted to meet members of her host club who made sure she was appropriately welcomed with an oversized sign.
Childers Rotary president Kerry Smythe will host Sidonie for the first three months of her year-long stay. Other host families will ensure the French student gets to experience a wide-ranging taste of Queensland culture.
Exchange students excited for adventure ahead
Sidonie, who will turn 16 in December, said she was looking forward to the exchange experience in the belief it will broaden her horizons, provide her with life experiences, improve her language skills and enable her to contemplate her future career.
“I’d like to do medicine studies to become an emergency doctor or an anaesthetist,” she said.
“I have wide interests including a musical interest in piano, horse riding and kayaking.”
Living in a small country town like Childers should pose no problems for Sidonie who comes from a similar small French town, La Chaussaire, which is about 30 minutes from the city of Nantes in western France.
Ms Smythe said students travelling to Australia under the Rotary Youth Exchange Program spent 12 months being hosted by a Rotary Club.
“It was incumbent on Childers to host a student as we currently have a local student, Natasha How, undertaking her exchange in Taiwan.”
“Sidonie will be enrolled at Isis High School and will commence classes on Monday.”
