Peekskill Club Exchange Students
Peekskill
Rotary President Keith Bobolia (left)
welcomes French exchange student Francois Maillard to Peekskill. Maillard is living with local
families and attending Peekskill High School during
his year in this country. |
Francois Maillard of Aze, France celebrated his 18th birthday on
Oct. 7, not with his family but with members of the Rotary Club of
Peekskill as he joined them in setting up facilities for the club’s
34th Annual Horse Show at Blue Mountain Reservation.
Francois is the club’s Youth Exchange Student for 2004-2005
and will participate in many club activities before returning home
next summer. The club’s Rotary Foundation will subsidize his
expenses this year, and he will live with several local families.
Francois worked for three years to become a Rotary exchange student
and is delighted to finally arrive. “It has been my dream for
years to travel to the U.S.,” he said, “and I’ve
worked hard to get here. I’m looking forward to improving my
English and to learning more about American culture.”
He added, “I am well aware of how lucky I am to have the privilege
of discovering the United States thanks to the Rotary Club of Peekskill.
This exceptional opportunity should enlarge my knowledge, allow me
to see things differently and open my mind.”
Francois takes off in his new Giants sweatshirt
and football, gifts given him by Peekskill Rotary club members
on his 18th birthday last October. Francois spent the
day setting up facilities for the club’s 34th Annual
Horse Show at Blue Mountain Reservation. |
Since Francois is attending Peekskill High School, Peekskill students
take note: Francois registered to take French!
He took the course to
help others here, so get in his classes if you can! Both of his parents
are teachers so you can expect that he can help you learn the language.
Francois likes handball and basketball and hopes to participate in
both during the school year. He’s a Stephen King fan, loves films
and has long-term aspirations to produce audio-visual commercials or
at least to create advertising concepts because he believes he has
acute understanding of the needs and concerns of people.
A true European, Francois has studied German and has traveled to Spain,
Italy, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Great Britain and Germany.
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