Marcela Salgado was an exchange student from Chile, hosted by the Rotary Club of St. Marys in 1994 - 1995. She attended St. Michael Secondary School during her exchange. She briefly returned to St. Marys for her visit in 31 years. She was accompanied by her daughter Magdalena, who just finished a Rotary exchange in Stirling, Ontario.
“For me, having the experience of being an exchange student through Rotary gave me life lessons. I believe the person I am today - someone who can easily interact with anyone, with confidence and self-assurance - is thanks to the opportunity of being an exchange student.
There are so many challenges you have to face that force you to grow and trust yourself and others.
For our family, giving our daughter the chance to do the same was difficult because we knew we would miss her a lot, but we also trusted that she would be okay, that Rotary and all her host families would take care of her.
Returning to St. Marys, the town where I lived during my exchange, was emotional and brought back memories of what a really great year it was. I must thank the fact that the English I learned opened professional doors for me throughout my adult life. And all the places I got to know in Canada and the United States showed me a world I didn’t know before, and now I have the desire to keep traveling and visiting. Thanks you so much from Chile.”