Former exchange student to Brazil (2010 – 2011 RYE) Madeline Brancel spoke regarding her past experience through the Rotary Youth Exchange and recent scholarship placements abroad.

 

Maddie’s mom shared how she felt sending Maddie abroad to Brazil for a year when she was 16.  Maddie’s mom shared that this experience was a true springboard for her daughter and was thankful for the experience Maddie had.  Maddie reiterated how inexpensive the rotary exchange program was in comparison to the programs she participated in when in college.

 

During Maddie’s stay in Brazil as part of the RYE, she assisted disadvantaged people in learning English.  This is what helped her decide to study Global Securities Studies instead of her first college major.  Maddie also translated between English and Portuguese during her stay.  Following her exchange, Maddie attended the Central States Rotary Program and was able to talk with 2000 people regarding her Brazil experience and her involvement there. 

 

After high school graduation, Maddie attended UW-Milwaukee, studied abroad in Portugal, and completed an internship at US Embassy in Lisbon.   This year, Maddie was awarded the David L. Boren Scholarship and studied abroad in Mozambique.  As a Boren Scholar, Maddie continued her studies of Portuguese and then interned at an internship at an orphanage in Mozambique.  The orphanage was mainly a daycare facility for children to be placed in during the day.  Maddie stayed in people's homes during all of her placements. Her job consisted of fundraising and management of four different micro projects.  Raising money for student backpacks was one of these projects.  Programs about human trafficking and child marriage were provided for students to help them gain an understanding of this problem in this region.  Due to high rate of HIV in the community, children are at high risk of becoming orphans.

 

Maddie graduates this spring from UW Milwaukee with a BA in global security and a BA in Portuguese language and Lusophone studies.  In the weeks ahead, Maddie will be moving to Boston to work with an organization called World Education – assisting with programming in Mozambique.