By Mimi Edmunds

Eighteen year-old HG Van Dis (they, their) visited West Bay Rotary recently to share their story of spending a year in Belgium on a Rotary scholarship. While in their senior year at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, a STEM-focused public residential high school in Limestone, Maine, HG applied for a Rotary year to study abroad and was accepted at a French-speaking school in Belgium. They faced the challenge of taking a second senior year, this time in a different country, and in a different language, a country of three languages in fact – French, German and Belgian.

The school was in the small district of Verviers located in the eastern corner of Belgium halfway between Brussels, the capitol, and the German border. Belgium has 10 times the population of Maine and is only one-third the size. Outside the capitol, the country is made up of many small villages and hamlets. Despite the high population density, HG found that people, “took great care to preserve nature in their neighborhoods and the overall environment.” And HG added, public transportation was easy, “The buses go everywhere – it was an awesome way to travel!”

Over the year, HG lived with three different families, all in a small village which made it possible to stay in touch with all of them. The Belgian rotaries kept the 40-plus Rotary students busy all the time, both in individual club activities and district-organized events. The big district activity was a trip to Italy, which HG chose because she had been there once with her family.

In terms of the educational experience, HG noted there is very limited technology play in the classes, everything you produce had to be typed up, printed out, and handed in. “Classroom instruction was very orderly, not as interactive as in America. You listen and answer, then sit down, and don’t say anything again.” In the class there is no talking freely as there is in the U.S., according to HG. However, students do use WhatsApp and texting but, again, not as much as in the U.S.

HG described the rich experience of their past Rotary year: “Over the past 11 months… I have spent my time enrolled as a senior in a local high school practicing and performing with the city’s orchestra, hanging out with my three host families, and traveling around Belgium with a handful of friends… Highlights of my time abroad were the activities organized by the Rotary clubs and districts, including a trip to Italy with 40 other exchange students. For my efforts at school, with my families, and becoming fluent in French, I was recommended for an award given by the District for being an ‘Outstanding Ambassador.’”  Characteristically, HG could not attend the awards event because of a commitment to play the flute, without instruction, at a Verviers Conservatory, justifying it as just “another great way to learn.”

HG’s abundant curiosity and love of learning is demonstrated by the 30 wooden buttons they has pinned on every inch of their blazer. “These represent all of my interests,” they proudly claims.

About West Bay Rotary

West Bay Rotary is celebrating its 39th year of “service above self” here in the Midcoast. The club undertakes dozens of community projects as well as fundraising (and “fun-raising”) events, including the Chili Challenge, Christmas Tree sales, Chowda Challenge, and more. The door for prospective members is always open. West Bay Rotarians come from all walks of life and offer a fun way to meet new people and get engaged in the community. The club meets on Thursday mornings from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Congregational Church meeting room in Camden and via Zoom. For more information, go to: www.WestBayRotaryOfMaine.org.