Goodbye Lena! 
Lena Storath, 17 year-old Rotary Exchange student from Eching, Bavaria, near Munich in the south of Germany, bid farewell to the Southampton Rotary Club and her three host families on Wednesday, July 16th. After 11 months studying at SDSS, immersing herself in Canadian culture and seeing many of the sights of Canada and parts of the U.S.A., Lena flew back to Germany vowing to return one day to visit her host families, friends and the Southampton Rotary Club who hosted her Rotary Exchange. During her 11 months in our area, Lena became host daughter to 3 different families. Paul and Jackie Johnston hosted her the first four months, Katie and James Rice the next 3 months, and Shona and Allistair Dykstra for the last 4 months. Lena’s parents, Claudia and Gunther, flew across to Canada for a 3-week holiday, spending the last 4 days enjoying the hospitality of Lena’s host parents and Rotarians from Southampton Rotary. Lena flew home on July 19th with her parents. The goal of the Rotary Youth Exchange program is to build peace and understanding in the world through cultural exchange. It aims to develop young leaders who will promote peace and social justice, and to cultivate global citizens who appreciate diversity and cross-cultural interactions. Lena was an excellent ambassador for Germany and will now be an ambassador for Canada in her home country. She will be missed.