Representatives from three Wimmera Rotary clubs will travel to New York state next month as part of a Rotary District 9780 Group Study Exchange program. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
REPRESENTATIVES from three Wimmera Rotary clubs will travel to New York state on April 1 as part of a Rotary District 9780 Group Study Exchange program.
Former Mail-Times journalist Kaitlyn Fasso-Opie will represent Horsham Rotary Club, Gemma McMahon will represent Nhill Rotary Club and Lachlan De Morton will represent Swan Hill Rotary Club.
The idea of the program is to give professionals between 25 and 40 the opportunity to participate in a vocational study tour.
Ms Fasso-Opie said the group would be going for four weeks, leaving on April 1, and would spend most of its time in Syracuse in New York.
"Obviously we all come from different fields. Our itinerary looks great," she said.
"We will be visiting schools, hospitals and a medical manufacturing company."
Ms Fasso-Opie said she would also be visiting newsrooms at the Syracuse Journal as well as Syracuse University, which is a top journalism university.
"Hopefully we will also get to see a sporting match at the university," she said.
She said the group members would be doing five vocational visits during the exchange and would each stay with four different host families.
"We also have to give a presentation to Rotary clubs while we are over there," she said.
The team's presentation would be about all things Australian.
"I'm sure there will be a bit of culture shock for everyone," she said.
Miss McMahon, Ambulance Victoria team manager at Nhill, said she was looking forward to the vocational experience of the exchange.
"I think that part will be particularly worthwhile," she said.
"I am looking forward to visiting ambulance services in America and seeing the systems they have.
"I am particularly looking forward to learning about how they work with volunteers.''
Miss McMahon said Nhill Rotary Club suggested she apply for the program after she worked closely with them on the development of the Nhill patient transfer station.
Seven artists from Nhill Gallery Central made paintings for the team to take on the exchange.
Miss McMahon said the artists painted a series of seven-centimetre-square canvases that depicted Australian landscapes and animals.
"We will be giving them to our host families and the Rotary clubs and vocational places we visit as thank-you gifts," she said.
"They are unique and Australian, which is good, and they are local from Nhill."
The group has been preparing for the trip since August last year.
Ms Fasso-Opie said she was selected as Horsham Rotary Club's candidate after an interview in Horsham.
She then attended a selection day in Ballarat, where she gave a five-minute speech to a panel.
Joining the Wimmera representatives on the team will be Adam Polkinghorne from Geelong and team leader Jane Auchettl from Ballarat.
