Many of your friends from around the world gathered in Sturgeon Bay last month to celebrate a common bond of travel and education thanks to the area’s Rotary Clubs.
Since 1975, 140 Door County and 100 international students have participated in the Rotary Youth Exchange program, allowing them to trade places to learn about each other’s cultures. Door County exchange students have lived in more than 28 countries, and students from more than 28 countries have come to live and study in Door County.
Recently, the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay hosted a celebration with 17 former students who were sponsored by the three Door County Rotary Clubs: The Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay, The Sturgeon Bay Breakfast Rotary Club, and the Door County North Rotary Club. The event connected the dots between Aira Nordahl, the most recent Exchange student from Gibraltar High School in 2024, and Donald Propsom, the oldest former exchange student to participate when he traveled to Brazil in 1978 as a Sturgeon Bay High School student.
Sturgeon Bay High School Alum and past Rotary Youth Exchange student Chloe Staudenmeier said her time in Ecuador during the 2018-2019 school year was one of the most eye-opening experiences of her life. “Within the year, I gained new friends, a new family, new language proficiency, and countless opportunities that showed me the uniqueness of Ecuadorian culture while also enabling me to appreciate my American heritage,” she added.
Anyone interested in becoming a Rotary Youth Exchange student, or families interested in hosting students from other countries, may contact any of the Door County Rotary Clubs.
