Right now, eight Northfield students are living abroad in countries that span four continents, residing with host families, attending school and absorbing the culture and traditions of their adopted homes.

That's an unusually high number of students for a town this size. In fact, Stevens said, Northfield consistently boasts an impressive number of students who express interest and qualify for the program.

"Nobody comes close to us in terms of the number of outbound students," she said.

Add to that the families that host inbound youth from foreign countries -- students from South Africa, Bolivia and Japan are here at this moment -- and at least 30 years of exchanges, and Northfield has naturally gained a reputation as a globally minded community.

"I think Northfield is just unique ...," said Dilley, who recently started her work with the Rotary, but has hosted exchange students four times and sent a child of her own overseas. "You really become a world citizen here, I think."

This year's component of outbound students is expected to begin returning home next month, as most will be completing nine months of school. However, most student visas are good for a full year, and as Stevens pointed out, most of them "don't come home until the day they have to."

Students who apply to the program are given a list of countries from which to choose. These represent Rotary districts with which the local Rotary has an established relationship. Though students are not guaranteed placement anywhere, they list preferences and often end up going to either their first or second choice.

It doesn't always happen that way, but Stevens said that for most students the experience of cultural immersion is more important than the specific location.

"Wherever they go, students have these universal experiences that are similar in many ways," she said.

Alex Ludescher is one of those students who did not receive the placement of his choice, but he went anyway. He currently is living in Trujillo, Venezuela, a hilly city of more than 50,000, and has kept in contact with the local Rotary to express his excitement with some of his experiences, which have included exotic activities such as anaconda hunting and piraña fishing.

"It changes your entire outlook on life ...," Ludescher wrote in late April. "I learned a lot about my own country from looking at Venezuela, and thus, myself. Additionally, it was also an eye-opener to me as I encountered first hand: extreme poverty, corrupt government officials, street riots and really got to experience what patience is all about."

Ludescher also wrote of the positive connections he has made during his time abroad, a sentiment that is echoed in letters from other exchange students.

Carol Thompson is nearing the end of her year in St. Petersburg, Russia, and while she wrote about walking through parks that made her nostalgic for the Carleton College Arboretum, she expressed happiness at meeting a host of new people.

"All in all, I will be sad to leave at the end of June," she wrote, "but it has been a great experience, which I hope I can relive in ‘mini' form when I visit again."

While students can go abroad through the exchange program as early as their sophomore year of high school, most Northfield students tend to travel the year after they graduate. After all, the experience is intended to be more cultural than academic, and not all students receive course credit for their studies abroad.

However, students are encouraged to begin planning well in advance, as the application process and preparation schedule spans nearly a year. Therefore, families that apply now will be some of the first in line for placement during the 2007-08 school year.

-- Adam Johnson can be reached at 645-1113 or ajohnson@northfieldnews.com.

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