Kurri High School has welcomed a new student, Mara Vogel, and she is all the way from Brunnen in Switzerland.
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The 17-year-old is one of the latest students to visit the area as part of the Rotary youth exchange program.
She will live in Australia for the next year, staying with Rotary families from around the Kurri and Cessnock areas.
Mara said that she was very excited about her adventure and said that she is really looking forward to immersing herself in the Aussie culture.
“I just want to learn as much as I can while I am here,” she said.
“All about the culture and the people and hopefully I will make some good friends as well.
“I want to make memories that will be with me for the rest of my life.”
After the very long flight from Switzerland to Australia, Mara said that she slept for 17 hours after arriving safely in Kurri.
Her first host family, Greg and Lorraine Bevan from Kurri Rotary Club said that she had been a terrific guest and they hope she enjoys the rest of her stay.
Mara will join the Year 10 class at Kurri High School and said that she is hoping to become involved in the school’s sports and dancing activities.
In March she will also join fellow youth exchange students from all over the world for the three-week Capricorn Ramble tour that will take her all over Australia.