In August, Rotary Youth Exchange Southeast welcomed 15 inbound high school students from 14 countries for Inbound Orientation at Lake Yale, Florida. This included our three District 6900 Inbound students, from Latvia, Brazil and Italy.

Six District 6900 "Rebound" students, who just completed their exchange year, and one ROTEX student, were also there to help welcome the new inbound class.

The weekend began with a mix of excitement, curiosity, and the familiar first‑day nerves that come with stepping into a new culture and a year of discovery. The rebound students and ROTEX students shared stories from their own exchange year — what surprised them, what challenged them, and how living overseas reshaped the way they see the world. Those conversations helped the new inbounds settle in and understand that they are joining a community that has walked this path before and is ready to support them. This is how Rotary Youth Exchange builds peace and understanding around the world, one student at a time.

Inbound Orientation is designed to help students get off to a strong start, giving them tools to navigate their exchange year and begin forming meaningful connections. As the weekend unfolded, new friendships formed almost immediately. Students who had met only hours earlier were already comparing languages, discovering shared interests, and laughing together as if they had known each other far longer. By the end of the weekend, Youth Exchange Officers and Rotarians left encouraged and inspired, confident that these students will bring fresh energy and perspective to our clubs — and that all of us will build lasting relationships and broaden our own horizons. 

Looking ahead, we invite every Rotary club to consider hosting an international exchange student for the 2027–2028 academic year. Remember: For every student our district agrees to host, we are able to send one Georgia student overseas. Hosting one student impacts two lives — the young person who comes here, the young person we send abroad - not to mention the families and communities they touch along the way.