ATHABASCA — As the days of July dwindle away and August is ushered in, thoughts of prolonging the warm weather, summer sunshine, and the vitamin D that comes with it, are likely on the minds of many.
But one young Athabascan has been eagerly counting down the days before embarking on an international journey sure to change her life.
Eighteen-year-old Jordynne MacNeil, a recent Edwin Parr Composite (EPC) graduate and communication coordinator for the school’s Interact club, has kept a mental calendar of her time left in Athabasca since early 2024.
Jordynne was approved as one of Rotary District 5370’s nine outbound exchange students in March, after applying for the program last September. Her flight, destined for Denmark, departs Aug. 6 — a date she has been anticipating with a mixture of excitement and stress; the good kind.
“It’s very nerve-wracking because you’re trying to figure out as you go what to pack, what you’re going to bring, what you’re going to get your host families,” said Jordynne. The young Athabascan will be overseas for nearly a year and said the time and distance away from home will be a novel experience.
“The longest I’ve been away from my family was a week, which was in Winnipeg when I went to Rotary Adventure in Human Rights,” said Jordynne. “I’m excited for the freedom, but will also probably get homesick, because I’m really close to my parents.”
Despite finishing her last year of Canadian high school in May, Jordynne will be attending an international school for another year of studies, what she calls the equivalent of a Grade 13.
“Since my teacher gave out my contact information, I have a bunch of friends there already,” said Jordynne. Although she isn’t completely sure of her class schedule yet, Jordynne said the subjects include law, debate, history, English, and Danish.
As soon as she was approved for the program, Jordynne began studying Danish, a task she said has not been a complete cake walk.
“It’s a very difficult language to learn. It’s not easy because of the different pronunciation and different letters,” she said, with 103 words in the language under her belt as of the end of July. I haven’t learned any numbers because numbers are very hard. I’ve been told some of them can’t count to 100, and they’re graduated.”
Outbound students are allowed to choose their own exchange location, and Denmark was a no-brainer for Jordynne. On her Rotary trip to Winnipeg, she met an exuberant Dane and the pair became fast friends.
“He told me all of the great things about Denmark, what you can do there, about the country, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I want to go there. That’s one of my bucket list places.’”
Jordynne has been involved with the local Interact club for two years, and said the impetus to join was also inspired by another figure in her life; her grandpa Dennis MacNeil.
“He used to be the president, and he would tell me of all the really cool things that happen in Rotary,” said Jordynne. “I’ve seen photos with my grandparents and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to be a part of this. I want to be part of that community where we help out other people, to put service above self.”
In addition to school and friends — new and old — Jordynne is looking forward to experiencing aspects of Danish culture like their unique holidays, travelling around Europe, and being immersed in a new culinary world.
During orientation, students were advised to try new foods and drinks at least three times before making judgments.
“Your taste buds do change,” she said. “I was warned by friends, ‘Be warned, you’re going to be eating a potato with every meal.’ And I’m like, “Oh, ok, I like potatoes anyway.”
But overall, the young Rotarian-hopeful is looking forward to making lasting personal connections with like-minded individuals.
“I can build those relationships with a bunch of random people I don’t even know,” she said. “It will help broaden my perspective on different cultures, because there’s people from all over the world coming to Denmark.”
Host families abroad and at home
Jordynne will be staying with a total of three host families during her stay in Denmark, and said she’s looking forward to creating bonds with her billets much the same as she hopes to with friends.
“I want to have the same connection, almost as if I have my parents there,” said Jordynne. “If I’m having issues or struggling with school, I can talk to them and have a really great relationship.”
Though Athabasca will be saying goodbye to Jordynne for a year, the community also gets to welcome its own inbound exchange student from Germany. The young lady, Luzie, is set to arrive in Alberta in late August and will stay with a number of host families in town.
Former Rotary exchange student Tracy Lundell and her family are thrilled to be part of that list, and Lundell is hopeful the lessons learned from her trip to Austria will allow her to create a memorable experience for Luzie.
“We’re all really excited,” said Lundell. “It’s something that my husband and I have talked about for years, because being an exchange student is something I always wanted to give back to the program, and offer opportunities and experiences to another youth.”
Though Lundell is not a member of the local Rotary chapter herself, her connection to the club is along similar lines as Jordynne’s. Her father, Frank Ponto, was an active member during her youth, and her connections to the club and history with the exchange program made them a fitting candidate for hosting.
Lundell, like Jordynne, was a Grade 12 graduate when she travelled to Austria. “I stayed as long as I could. It was 50 or 51 weeks that I stayed in Austria,” she said.
“It’s a lot; it’s life-changing,” said Lundell. “I can’t talk about my exchange without (talking about) how it totally changed my life. I came back and got a German minor in university, and because of that, I’m like ‘Oh yeah, I could learn French and teach French.”
Lundell’s experiences with each of her four host families were vastly different, though she remembers each one with fondness. She said her goal is not to be Luzie’s favourite, but create welcoming, memorable space for her during her time in Athabasca.
The Lundell’s will host Luzie from February through April and are looking forward to sharing their hobbies and fostering Luzie’s own interest.
“We’ll make sure we go to Tawatinaw lots, and we’ll explore the trails at Muskeg, and we’ll hopefully borrow a bike and do a lot of bike riding, and the kids want to take her hiking in the mountains.”
