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Each year the Bainbridge Rotary Club joins forces with other area Rotary Clubs in District 6900 to sponsor a student from another country to attend college for one year in the United States. Known as the Georgia Rotary Student Program  (GRSP), it was founded in 1946 to promote world peace through understanding and education.

This year’s student, Zoe Heller from Southhampton England, spoke at the Bainbridge Rotary meeting this week . With the help of a video production, she showed photos of her family and gave information about her background.

Zoe, age 18, was born in Berlin, Germany, but moved with her family in September 2013 to Southhampton, United Kingdom. She speaks German fluently as well as English.

Each club has a designated “host family” where the students spend holidays and free time away from campus.

The host family for the local club this year is that of Daniel and Ashley White.

Daniel has been spending the weekend showing Zoe around Bainbridge, attending the Blessing of the Animals on Saturday morning and attending the Decatur County Fair.

Zoe is enrolled at Valdosta State University for this school year. She is studying psychology and enjoying playing her cello in the music program there.

The biggest differences she sees between Germany/England and the United States is that it is, “Very hot here.” She also misses the availability of public transportation.

She says she likes the United States, and Georgia, but comments on how different the food is here, as well as that we speak differently.

Her presentation included information and brief attractions from Southhampton and Winchester in England, as well as in Berlin, Germany, where she lived her early years.