Our new Rotary Exchange Student, supported with our partner the Dartmouth East Club, arrived on Friday, September 13th, and was welcomed by Lori, Melanie and Brian, and our District Youth Exchange rep, Michael Craig and his wife, Vicky.  Please welcome to our Club Maricio Jose Rico Quiroz, who goes by Mauro, and is a very intelligent and capable 17-year-old from Venezuela. Mauro is sponsored by the Rotary Valle de Santiago Club in District 4380, and he is involved in Scouts, in the model United Nations, and enjoys reading, cooking (good for prospective host families), and dancing (some of us could use Salsa lessons).

 
He comes from San Crisobal, a business, financial and agricultural centre in the Andes near the border with Columbia.  His parents run a photography business there, and Mauro has a younger brother and sister who will be following his adventures in Canada.  
 
Speaking of adventures, he will be on a Bluenose Cruise with other Nova Scotia Exchangers on Saturday, September 14, starting at Dartmouth High the following Monday, and taking part in orientation at Camp Tignish with all the District 7820 Exchange Students on the weekend of September 21. We hope to arrange something soon for Mauro to meet the rest of our Club, and encourage everyone to help Mauro have a successful year with us.