Teens jump for joy as Europe beckons

Two Geraldton graduates are getting ready for the experience of a lifetime when they head overseas as part of the Rotary International Youth Exchange program.

Montana Baddeley and Ben Moffat recently graduated from Nagle Catholic College and are using the year of extra study overseas to make new friends and take in the culture of their host cities.

The 18-year-olds will stay with a range of host families in their year-long exchange while they attend local schools.

Montana, who is heading to Denmark representing the Rotary Club of Geraldton, is excited at the prospect of making new friends.

“I’ll definitely miss my family but hopefully I’ll be meeting so many people and making so many friends that I won’t get too home-sick,” she said.

“A lot of people there speak pretty fluent English so I should have plenty of translators.”

Ben is less optimistic about the language barrier and will head to Spain later this month, representing the Rotary Club of Geraldton-Greenough.

“I’ve been learning a little Spanish … but I’m not exactly fluent,” he said.

“It’s going to be a bit of a shock but I’ve spoken to my host family over there and they seem great.”

Each year, Rotary clubs have students coming in from all around the world to stay with host families for their exchanges.

Rotary Club of Geraldton services and youth project worker Di Gilleland said while people were encouraged to join the club, any family could apply to host a student for an exchange program.

“It can be hard to find host families in Geraldton, so we encourage anyone to put their name forward,” she said.

“It’s such a huge experience for the kids. They leave here as young students and return as adults.”