
After a 12-hour flight Ezgi (third from right) gets a big greeting at the airport. To her right are host parents Neil Snyder and Rebecca Hodge.
At Southwest Florida International Airport on August 9, a group of local Rotarians eagerly waited with signs for the arrival of 18-year-old Ezgi Tacyildiz.
Ezgi, an exchange student from Sakarya, Turkey, is part of the Rotary Youth Exchange, sponsored by Rotary International and Marco Island’s Noontime and Sunrise Rotary clubs. Sakarya, located close to the Black Sea, is approximately 90 miles from Istanbul.
This year, through the Rotary Youth Exchange program, in addition to Ezgi, Rotary clubs in Southwest Florida have welcomed exchange students from Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, and Thailand. Rotary’s goal is that these young people will become ambassadors for Rotary, building world understanding and peace during their year abroad.
Ezgi is enrolled in high

Host mom Rebecca gives Ezgi a warm welcome.
One of the things that Ezgi hopes to achieve during the school year is to improve her English language skills. “It is hard not being able to fully express myself,” she explains quite articulately.
Sunrise Rotary President Neil Snyder and his wife Rebecca Hodge are Ezgi’s host

Ezgi enjoys riding her bicycle on the island. Submitted Photos
This is Ezgi’s first time in the United States, and her first time away from her close-knit family in Turkey. At home, she spent a lot of time with her father, who is the headmaster and a physics teacher at the Doga College, a private school for kindergarten through 12th grade. After spending a full day with her father at school, Ezgi would then spend time in the evening with her mother at home. Her

Ezgi, Neil and Rebecca take a selfie before a flapper-style party.
Ezgi describes the initial homesickness she felt as “a difficult thing.” Helping her through it was her Marco parents, who she says are “the best family here.” Smiling, Rebecca adds, “We are good huggers.” Ezgi says by her third day of school everything was great.
It is natural for young exchange students to have an adjustment period to their new country, school and family. Ezgi, along with other exchange students, participated in an orientation to help them acclimate to their new environment. Rotary supports these students throughout their time abroad. Host families are also trained before their exchange student arrives.
The application process to be accepted in the Rotary Youth Exchange is selective,

Rebecca with Ezgi, at home. Photo By Jessica Hernstadt
Ezgi is appreciative of Rotary and the opportunity it has given her. She describes the Rotary Youth Exchange as her “chance in life.” She recognizes that “everybody doesn’t have this chance,” and says that she feels “lucky to be here.”
Ezgi is considering attending college in the United States after she graduates high school. She plans to study biomedical engineering or dentistry. With her drive and intelligence, she will undoubtedly achieve everything she sets her sights on.
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