INNISFAIL – Linnea Yu Hammarsten brings greetings from Sweden.
The 17-year-old student arrived in mid-August as part of the 2019 Rotary Youth Exchange program and will be living in Innisfail with several host families while attending Innisfail High School for 11 months.
Rotary Youth Exchange is open to youth between the ages of 15 and 19.
Yu Hammarsten said she has been welcomed by classmates, teachers, and the citizens of Innisfail.
“They’re very polite and they’re very friendly,” said Yu Hammarsten of her first experience with Canadians. “I think the difference is that everyone asks how are you and how is your day. They don’t ask that in Sweden as much.”
Yu Hammarsten is from Sodertalje, Sweden, a city about the size of Red Deer with a population of about 90,000.
“I applied (for the program) in October, one year ago,” she said, noting other Swedish students who applied with the Rotary program went to other countries.
“A lot of people went to Australia, New Zealand and the United States. I chose Canada. I wanted to go to an English-speaking country and I think Canada is better than the U.S.A.,” she said with a smile, adding she has been studying English since the third grade.
Yu Hammarsten said her host families have made her feel welcome and the Rotary Club of Innisfail has been supportive and helpful in overseeing Yu Hammarsten settle into her home away from home.
“They organized a barbecue so I could meet all of my host families and then the district organized an orientation in Calgary a few weeks ago with other Rotary Youth Exchange students from other countries,” said Yu Hammarsten. “I met students from Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Italy and the Netherlands.
“I’m the only Swedish exchange student in Alberta. There’s also a few in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario.”
Since arriving in Alberta, Yu Hammarsten has been busy learning about Canada, sight-seeing and visiting popular tourist spots across the province.
“We went to Jasper. That was really beautiful,” she said, adding she would love to share Canada’s beauty with her family back home.
“(My parents) said they wanted to visit me at the end of my exchange so hopefully they will come,” she said.
Yu Hammarsten said she has enjoyed attending classes at Innisfail High School, and noted some differences from school in Sweden.
“We don’t have the same schedule every day (in Sweden). That was really different but I really like it,” said Yu Hammarsten. “The teachers are very good. I like the teachers here very much. We don’t have band in Sweden so it was really exciting to attend band class. I play the piano and I love music,” she added.
Yu Hammarsten said she is looking forward to her time in Canada, pointing to one particular reason she applied for the Rotary Youth Exchange program.
“I want to grow as a person, be more outgoing, see new things and experience new cultures,” said Yu Hammarsten. “It’s a great experience, I really recommend it. It’s the best year of your life.”
