The Starkville Rotary Club is the leader in District 6820 Rotary Youth Exchange activities. This program promotes international goodwill and understanding by providing high school students between the ages of 15 and 19 an opportunity to spend one year living and studying in another country.
Over the past 24 years, the club has hosted 20 foreign students and sent 14 Starkville youths abroad for this life-changing experience. Rotary Youth Exchange students live with two to four families during their year and become active in school and community life. This cultural experience benefits the students, their host families, fellow students, and everyone with whom the exchange students interact during the year.
Rotary Youth Exchange students hosted in Starkville include:
- Sarah Loiseau, France (1996-97)
- Johanna Laaja, Finland (1997-98)
- Luis Garcia, Venezuela (1998-99)
- Silje Usterud , Norway (2000-01)
- Philippe Olivier , France (2002-03)
- Johanna Rodriguez, Peru (2003-04)
- Karla Zuniga, Peru (2004-05)
- Matilde Relli , Italy (2005-06)
- Marie Baran, France (2006-07)
- Ruth Schorling, Germany (2006-07)
- Maria “Negrita” Caicedo, Ecuador (2007-08)
- Maryna Melnik, Belarus (2007-08)
- Estefania “Nia” Romero, Venezuela (2008)
- Takatoshi “Taka” Sato, Japan (2008–09)
- Kasper Eriksen, Denmark (2009–10)
- Francesca Scaravelli, Italy (2009–10)
- Fang-Wei “Jessie” Hsu, Taiwan (2010-11)
- Julia Vago, Italy (2011-12)
- Giulia Martinoli, Italy (2012-13)
- Philippa Romen-Naegel, Germany (2013-14)
- Max Garzoni, Italy (2014-15)
- Benadetta Trentarossi, Italy (2015-16)
- Eliza Malzanni, Italy (2016-17)
- Matteo Spataforo, Italy (2017-18)
- Elisa Ceriani, Italy (2018-19)
- Carlotta Tenore, Italy (2019-20)
Starkville youths our club has sent abroad as Rotary Youth Exchange Ambassadors are:
- Ruth Crowell, Belgium (1996-97)
- Teal Waterstrat, Finland (1997-98)
- Erik Milroie, Norway (2000-01)
- Julia Cathcart, France (2002-03)
- Allison Noffsinger, Peru (2003-04)
- Alex Lewis, Italy (2005-06)
- Elizabeth Dunn, France (2006-07)
- Victoria “Tori” Ferguson, Ecuador (2007-08)
- Laura Bridges, Denmark (2009-10)
- Anna Follett, Italy (2009-10)
- Davis Richardson, Italy (2011-12)
- Kristina Berch, Germany (2013-14)
- Matt Reynolds, Italy (2014-15)
- Carla Bohna, Italy (2017-18)