Beatriz (Bia) Murari Souza arrived in Medicine Hat on a New Generations Service Exchange (NGSE) program on Friday 13 September. She flies back to her home city, Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerias in Brazil, on Thursday 21 November.

 

This 23-year old University student (majoring in Linguistics and Literature) and teacher of English, has impressed Rotarians and all with whom she has been in contact, during her 10 week NGSE program, with her maturity, her intelligence, her warmth, and her openness and motivation to learn about and experience, education in Canada, Rotary and Canadian culture – and to share about education and life in Brazil.

 

Over the weeks, Bia made five presentations on her unfolding NGSE program: to the Rotary Clubs of Medicine Hat (2x), Saamis, Sunrise and Brooks, doing a great job of marketing the NGSE program while sharing her different experiences within the three pillars of the NGSE.

 

 

PILLAR 1: On the VOCATIONAL front, Bia spent Tuesday to Friday mornings first at Herald Elementary School (Grades 1 and 2), then at Alexandra Middle School (Grades 7, 8 and 9), and lastly at Eagle Butte High School (Grades 10, 11 and 12) in Dunmore. This gave her a good overview of the education system and curriculum in Alberta, through which she was able to identify interesting similarities and differences between schooling here and in Brazil.

 

The Superintendent of Prairie Rose Public School Division, Rotarian Reagan Weeks, and Assistant Superintendent of the Medicine Hat Public School Division, Jason Peters, were wonderfully open to sanctioning and organizing Bia’s entry into these three schools – not to teach, but to shadow, observe, do some tutoring, attend staff meetings, have discussions with teachers and students, accompany students on field trips, and do selected activities geared to informing students to aspects of life in Brazil. Bia made a wrap-up presentation to the Superintendents and a few school staff members, on Friday 15 November.

 

 

PILLAR 2: HUMANITARIAN SERVICE. Thanks to Rotarian Mihaela Cruciun, Bia was invited to volunteer at Saamis Immigration Association for the day, every Monday. Bia was particularly interested in the Language Centre, and its approach to teaching English to newcomers. Bia assisted teachers in this Language Centre and wherever else her help was needed.

 

 

Bia also volunteered at the Redcliff Youth Centre on Thursday afternoons. She has high praise for the Centre, which operates as a second family to many teenagers living in Redcliff and beyond. She created and developed activities for the youth, taught crafts, helped at a practical level with e.g. snack preparation, and helped the teens with their projects.

 

 

PILLAR 3: CULTURE. Bia pointed out that she was in fact exposed to Canadian culture the moment she landed in Calgary and entered the terminal buildings! In her presentations, she expressed much appreciation to her five host families for all the exposure and experiences they gave her regarding food, traditions, sights, and entertainment, typical of this neck of the woods.

 

Bia expressed appreciation for Remembrance Day celebrations, which she attended (not held in Brazil), said how she’d learnt to say -ay, enjoyed poutine fries, attended an ice hockey game (much more civilized than soccer games in Brazil, she said!), done pumpkin cutting for Halloween, and visited Banff, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Writing-on-Stone, Red Rock Coulee, Brooks, Lethbridge, as well as local highlights, like Police Point, Medalta, the Teepee, and Echodale.

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of each of her five presentations, Bia expressed gratitude to all who made her time in Medicine Hat as welcoming, rich and memorable as it had been.

 

Note from the District 5360 NGSE team: Firstly, Bia has been a wonderful participant. We hope she will choose to become a Rotaractor / Rotarian when the time is right for her. Secondly, we look forward to selecting future NGSE participants from around the world, to come to our District for educational exposure – or immersion in any other career direction. Thirdly, we look forward to identifying 18-30-year young adults in our Rotary District, who would like to experience this life-changing program, in a country of their choice.