Hanna Ferguson is preparing for a very exciting 2014. In January she leaves for a 12-month student exchange to Sweden thanks to the well-known Rotary Student Exchange Program. Hanna and Rotary Club of Singleton president John Henderson caught up with reporter Louise Nichols to discuss the experience that awaits her.
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ON a typical hot December day in Singleton, Hanna Ferguson donned her special Rotary Club jacket and could only dream about the next time she would be wearing it in Sweden where the temperature would be more conducive to such attire.
When Hanna’s photograph was taken Singleton was looking forward to a top temperature of 40 degrees whereas in Sweden, where she will be living for the next 12 months, it was an icy -15 degrees.
Hanna is the recipient of the Rotary Club of Singleton’s Rotary Youth Exchange which will enable her to live in Sweden with host families and attend school during 2014.
She flies out in January and is heading straight to her host family in Norcopping, a small town located two hours away from the capital Stockholm.
Hanna has just completed her Higher School Certificate at Singleton High School and after her year in Europe hopes to return and most probably study to become a drama and languages high school teacher.
This will not be her first time overseas having visited Japan twice before, including staying there for two months on a home stay.
To apply for the Rotary Exchange she first had to apply online and then undertake interviews in Newcastle followed up by more interviews and she then spent two weekends at Tocal College at Paterson.
Rotary Club of Singleton president, John Henderson said the exchange program was all about the cultural experience – we want those who go overseas to come back with a far greater understanding of the country they have visited and hopefully improved language skills.
He said there was always more applicants than positions available in the program and the selection process was designed to find the students who will take the most out of the experience.
“Hanna will simply love it overseas, she will thrive,” he said.
Currently the Singleton Club is hosting a student from Switzerland, Ivo Schoch, who is staying with the Ferguson family and providing Hanna with a few survival tips.
Hanna is also hoping to meet the daughter of her host family who is now in Sydney.
“We are planning to have her stay with us for a week before I fly out. She will be back in Sweden in July so I can catch up with her on her return, “ said Hanna.
In the meantime Hanna is trying to learn a few words of Swedish but once she arrives in the country she goes to a two week language course where she hopes to make a big improvement in her non existent Swedish speaking skills.
Mr Henderson said language skills were only one of the hurdles the students faced overseas and he added coping with weather, different schools, culture and living in a new family environment as other challenges.
But Hanna is not daunted. She has coped with being on stage in SATS productions and she simply loves to travel and experience others cultures.
