Hello Point West Rotarians,

Our inbound exchange student this year is Astrid Petitjean. She comes to us from Fribourg, Switzerland, which lies in between the German and French parts of Switzerland. One of her parents is French and the other is from the German part of Switzerland. Generally, she speaks French at home, but she speaks German at school. In addition to German and French, she can also speak Swiss German, which is almost an entirely different language. After this year, she will be fluent in four languages (or at least she hopes she will). Some of the activities she enjoyed back home are skiing and swimming. While she is here, she is intent on learning how to play basketball. During the summers in Switzerland, she has assisted at a basketball camp, but has not yet gotten to play very much. When asked what she will miss most, she responded “cheese, after family and friends, of course.” Specifically, she said she will miss the cheese fondue. Throughout this year, she will be attending Rio Americano High School, located a few miles from the intersection of Watt and Fair Oaks.

Please, when you see her at our meetings, be sure to introduce yourself and welcome her. If you're interested in taking Astrid on a trip or getting to know her better by having her over for dinner, or for a family outing, contact Carl Naake (carlnaake@att.net) or Cori Badgley (cbadgley@aklandlaw.com).