Seachange for Broomehill student

Miranda McKennay of Broomehill, a student at Katanning Senior High School, has been selected to go on a Rotary Youth Exchange to Venezuela for 12 months.

Rotary Youth Exchange is a Rotary International student exchange program for young people in secondary school.

Since 1929, Rotary International has sent young people around the globe to experience new cultures.

About 9000 students are sponsored by Rotary clubs every year.

Typically, students are sent to another country for a year-long stay.

They generally live with multiple host families during the year and are expected to perform daily household tasks, as well as attend school in the host country.

Rotarians who participate in the program are volunteers.

Many Rotarians are involved in various aspects of the youth exchange program, including student selection, compliance with immigration and Rotary regulations, hosting, and supporting students.

Each student is sponsored by a Rotary Club and Rotary District in their home country and is hosted by a Rotary Club and Rotary District in their host country.

Miranda was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Katanning, which has a strong record of supporting inbound and outbound RYE students over many years.

Emilie Waern from Denmark recently spent 12 months in Katanning on an exchange. Rotary Club of Katanning's international director Peter Caldwell said Miranda was the 22nd student sponsored by the club for a Rotary Youth Exchange.

"We have also sponsored 24 students from other countries, including Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Brazil, and Alaska," he said.

Miranda was one of seven selected from a group of 13 female applicants (no boys applied this year) after being recommended to Katanning Rotary Club by staff at Katanning Senior High School.

She will be living on Margarita Island (Isla de Margarita), which is the largest island in the Venezuelan State of Nueva Esparta, situated off the north-eastern coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asuncion, is located on the island, and its primary industries are tourism, fishing and construction.

Miranda has been busy studying Spanish and Venezuelan culture in preparation for her exchange, which starts when she flies out of Perth on January 17.