Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Shown, from left, are outbound students Gabby Shefski, Kierstyn Selig and Noni Murithi.
Abington Journal/T’Shaiya Stephenson
CLARKS SUMMIT- The Rotary International Theme for the year of 2010 to 2011 was “Building Communities. Building Bridges.”
That is what three Abington Heights High School juniors are setting out to do in August.
Gabby Shefski, Clarks Summit, Kierstyn Selig, Newton and Noni Murithi, South Abington, will be spending the next school year in classrooms throughout the world.
Through the Rotary Club of the Abingtons Rotary Youth Exchange Program, Shefski, 16, will be spending time in Namur, Belgium. “Originally, my top choice was France by far, but it was required to have at least three years of French experience to be able to go there. I’ve only had two years of French in school, so I chose Belgium because of its proximity to France, and because it is also partly French-speaking,” she said via e-mail.
Sixteen-year-old Selig, Newton, wants to become bilingual from her trip to Argentina. ”
“Just going through this process it kind of makes you grow a little bit because you’re making a big opportunity in your life and it’s going to make a huge difference. You get to meet people from everywhere,” Selig said about advice she would give to students who are interested in the program.
Murithi, 15, had a different reason for choosing the country she wanted to travel to other than the language. “I’ve traveled to basically every continent except for Asia and South East Asia was always an interest of mine because we’ve studied it in school. The culture seems so much different and I want to get that experience.”
The South Abington resident said that English is the main language spoken in the Philippines but even if it was not she still would have wanted to travel there. Murithi is also fluent in Swahili and Kikuyu.
Throughout the summer she has volunteered her time at the McNichols Plaza in Scranton working as an English as a second language teacher. She helped students from kindergarten to sixth grade and said it was awesome to hear them speak their native language. “…I think it’s a nice thing to do, and it’s fun. The kids are just awesome.”
This will not be the first time Murithi has gone to school in a foreign country. In 2008 she spent three or four months at a school in Kenya.
While three Abington Heights High School students prepare to leave, one student has just returned.
Seventeen-year-old Kevin Murray, South Abington Twp., returned in July after close to a year abroad in Venezuela. According to Attorney Roger Mattes Jr., Youth Exchange Officer for the Rotary Club of the Abingtons, Murray was one of the first students that the Rotary Club of the Abingtons sent in eight years.
“I thought that was a problem so we actively went to the high school and gave a presentation at the school for the Exchange Student Program to see if anyone was interested,” he said. The club will have three outbound students for the first in the club’s history. Mattes said to have three outbound students from the club is pretty remarkable.
Students interested in the program have applications that need to be completed, they construct a list of places they would prefer to go and then are called in for an interview. According to Mattes, the students have to be full-time, have sufficient grades and cannot be 18 years of age or older.
“All three students were exceptional candidates. We had no doubt that all three of them would be fantastic ambassadors to whatever country they go to and a wonderful reflection on our community,” he said about the three outbound students.
Kevin’s mother, Pam Murray, is also Principal of Abington Heights High School. The school allows the incoming exchange student to be excused to attend to the weekly Rotary Club of the Abington lunch which is hosted every Thursday at 12:10 p.m. at the Nichols Village Hotel and Spa.
Pam Murray said that allowing the student to attend lunch every week builds a routine. She said it also allows Rotarians to see the progress the student is making.
Director of Student Services for Abington Heights High School Peter Smith offers guidance throughout the process, such as making sure the students will be able to reach graduation at Abington Heights after spending a year abroad.
For more information, 570.677. 7299.