On November 18th our guest speaker was our current exchange student, Mauricio Jose Rico Quiroz (who goes by Mauro).  Mauro is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Valle de Santiago, Venezuela. He is hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Dartmouth & Dartmouth East. 

This is an impressive young man!  He speaks impeccable English which he learned through Saturday morning classes and YouTube, for colloquial phrases. Mauro is enrolled in grade twelve at Dartmouth High, where he has made many friends. When asked what he wants to do following high school Mauro mentioned journalism.  Given the current political conditions within Venezuela, however, he recognises that he might have to choose another career.
 
Rather than focusing on the issues faced by his home country Mauro gave the club a glimpse into the beauties of Venezuela, his family and his involvement with his Interact Club back home. He spoke about Angel Falls in Venezuela which is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
 
Mauro comes from a close-knit family and although they miss Mauro very much, they are supportive of his adventure in Canada.  They speak with each other regularly exchanging the news of the day.
 
In October Mauro attended a Model United Nations Conference at Mouth Alison University.   These Conferences are an opportunity for students to be immersed in global civil society. Conferences are a great opportunity to learn about global issues, foreign policy, and develop research, public speaking, and collaboration skills.  Mauro represented the delegation of China and was named the Best Delegate at the Conference…. way to go Mauricio!
 
Mauro is a good cook. He has been teaching his current host, Rotarian Lorraine Lewis, all about Venezuelan cuisine.  For Mauro’s part he really enjoys hiking and other outdoor activities with his first host. 
 
Our club is very fortunate to have an exchange student the high calibre of Mauricio and we look forward to a rewarding year as his host club.
 
To see photos from Mauro’s presentation....Click Here