Caleb Langenbrunner speaks to the Rotary Club of Los Alamos about his Youth Exchange experiences in France. Photo by Linda Hull
BY LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
Caleb Langenbrunner, a freshman at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, spoke during the Aug. 15 meeting of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos about his Youth Exchange experiences in France. Langenbrunner had applied to the Rotary program with the intention of spending his junior year of high school abroad, but instead spent his senior year in France due to a hiatus in the program created by the pandemic.
Langenbrunner, who wore a jacket laden with exchange pins he had received from other Rotary clubs and exchange students, was hosted in the riverside towns of Tournon-sur-Rhône and Tain l’Hermitage in southeastern France. In addition to time spent with his studies, he played basketball, took golf lessons, biked in Paris, skied in the Alps, and sampled escargot, which he professed he “actually liked” because it was “so buttery.” He also joined other Rotary Youth Exchange students from Brazil, Taiwan, India, Germany, Argentina, and other countries in a variety of activities.
When asked about his favorite places in France, he replied that he liked every place he visited, but felt that Bordeaux, a scenic and historic city in the southwestern region of the country, and the Mediterranean Sea were at the top of the list. His favorite French dish? Another hard choice, but probably aligot, mashed potatoes whipped with cheese, particularly delicious with specialty sausage.
Community members who are interested in Rotary Youth Exchange are encouraged to contact Laura Gonzales at 505-699-5880 or abqlaura@gmail.com. Applications for the 2024-2025 school year will be accepted through the end of September, 2023. Applications can be found at: RYE Application-Long Term 2023-07-11-reg.pdf – Google Drive
Applications to host an exchange student can be found at: HF-1_Host_Family_Application.pdf (scrye.org)
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos, through its 1312 Club Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and one of over 34,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary, which now has 1.5 million members, was founded in 1905; the local Club was chartered in 1966. Rotary areas of focus include promoting peace; fighting disease, particularly polio; providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; supporting education; saving and enhancing the lives of mothers and children; growing economies; and protecting the environment.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos meets in person Tuesdays, 12:00-1:00, in the Community Room, Cottonwood on the Greens, at the golf course. A Zoom option is available by contacting Linda Hull, (505) 662-7950. Hull is also happy to provide information about the Club and its humanitarian service. The community is cordially invited to attend meetings and consider joining us in our projects, service, and friendship activities.