Antonio Bollio stepped off the plane from Mexico in late August. Three days later, the Mexican exchange student was settled in with the Derek Hill family in Canby and practicing with the Canby High School junior varsity football team.
“I asked him if he wanted to play soccer,” Hill said. “And Antonio said ‘I can play soccer at home all the time — I want to try something that I will never get a chance to try in Mexico.’ That has been his attitude all along. He is now playing rugby and is having a blast. He is a little skinny but he has a lot of heart and just loves being with the guys.”
The Hills volunteered to be a host family for Antonio, who attends Canby High this year and Hill said it has been a great e
xperience for all of them, including Antonio.
“The friendships that you establish by meeting these kids, learning each others cultures — it’s fun interacting with them,” Hill said. “It’s exciting watching them doing things they never experienced before, like seeing Antonio experience snow for the first time.”
The Canby Rotary is now seeking host families for the next school year, and Hill enthusiastically recommends the experience for Canby families.
“Being a host family does require some work but I can say that the lifetime of rewards is all worth the experience,” Hill said. We have really grown to love Antonio. We have enjoyed having him and getting to know his family back home.”
Three host families are needed for the coming school year, with the exchange student living in each home for a three month period.
A host family is a vital part of the cultural exchange, immersing the exchange student in a variety of activities while a student here. And in the process, the host family gains the opportunity to learn about a new culture from the visiting student, he said.
A host family can share in its exchange student’s hopes and dreams and develop a lifelong connection. It can be challenging to help a young person transition to a new culture and ease into the surroundings but the rewards are immeasurable.
Host families in the Youth Exchange program can be Rotarians or non-Rotarians, and may include young children, older children or no children at all.
Hill said the host family does not get paid, but the Rotary exchange students have their own allowance to cover their personal expenses.
“It’s not like the family has to pay a lot out of its own pocket to host a student,” he said. “But, of course, the student is a member of the family.”
Hill said Rotary is a great organization, but what makes it great is the people in it, worldwide. Antonio’s dad is an attorney and his mom is a teacher in Yucatán. He has two older brothers and a dog.
“He really likes Canby,” Hill said. “He was a little nervous at first. He thought that Oregon was going to be boring. But he has come to realize that we have a great community and he has really taken it all in.”
Hill said he needs to find three host families for the coming year by August.
Those interested are asked to call him for more information at 503-266-5800.