Two Rivers Rotary- Inbound Irina Rau

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Irina Rau- 2004-05 Inbound Student

2/14/05- Irina Tells Her Family Story (click photo to see larger) (back to top)· o •

Irina
Born in Soviet Union
Lived in East and West Germany
Plans to attend law school on her return to Germany

Rau & Forsythe

by Dick Nitsch- The program chair for the day was Dick Forsythe who introduced Irina Rau as the speaker. Irina is the Rotary inbound student from Germany. She began her presentation by informing the club that she was born in the Soviet Union and lived there for 8 years. She attended kindergarten and 1^st grade in the Soviet Union before moving to Germany. Irina’s mother is Russian and she continues to have a grandmother who lives in Russia. Irina’s father is German; which influenced their move to that country in 1995. The family lived in East Germany for 3 years and then move to West Germany. Irina informed the club that Germany has 16 states and 82.6 million people. The total area of Germany is approximately two times the size of Wisconsin. Germany is in the heart of Europe and has a great deal of history. Irina informed the club that Germany is approximately 2 hours from France and 3 ½ hours from Austria. She mentioned that her family loves to travel and suggested that she has seen most of the castles in Germany. There are not a lot of churches in Germany and primarily old people attend church in Germany. Irina’s home city is Schwäbisch Gmünd which has a population of 62,000 people. She described her home city as very picturesque with some buildings being more than 800 years old. During Christmas many of the buildings have lights on them and she compared them to Gingerbread houses. The School system in Germany is a little different than in the United States. The German school system has the following levels of education: • Kindergarten • Grades 1 to 4 • Hauptschute – grades 5-9 • Realschute – grades 5-10 • Gymnasium – grades 5-13. The high schools are listed from easiest to most difficult. You cannot attend a university unless you have attended and completed a Gymnasium school. The amount of time you spend in school is also dependant upon the type of high school you attend. Irina attended a Gymnasium school and plans to attend the university upon her return to Germany. There is no expense to students who choose to go on to the university in Germany. Irina indicated that she is interested in attending law school. Irina’s presentation was accompanied by a power point presentation that included many pictures of her country. She also had two books on Germany that she passed around during her presentation. Click here to learn more about Irina.

Two Rivers ‘just like movies’ - German student makes herself at home

Posted Nov. 21, 2004 By Neil Rhines, Herald Times Reporter
TWO RIVERS — When Irina Rau arrived in Two Rivers from her home in Germany her first impression was that “it was just like the movies.”

Rau, 17, said American movies helped shape her original idea of what America would be like, even if she couldn’t understand a word of English when she arrived.
Not that Rau didn’t know the language, having studied English as a second language since fifth grade. Rather, everyone was simply talking too fast.
A few months later, Rau is well acclimated, has no problem following and keeping up in the language. She is comfortably living with the Dennis Swetlik family on Columbus Street in Two Rivers while attending Two Rivers High School as a senior.
She’ll be 18 years old on Jan. 1, but still has two full years of classes when she gets back to Germany. Then she hopes to study law.
Rau was born in Kazakhstan, but at the age of eight, at about the same time as the collapse of the Soviet Union, moved to Schwabisch Gmund, a city near Stuttgart in the Black Forest.
Her mother still considers Kazakhstan her homeland, but her father is German, and she has adopted the country as her homeland as well.
“As a child, you adapt really easy,” she said.
Rau admits she’s always had the traveling bug, and has visited much of Europe with her parents. She speaks English, Russian, German and Latin, loves different cultures and nations, and hopes to continue traveling in her adulthood.
Rau said it wasn’t her dream to study in another country, but she pounced on the opportunity. Her parents are supportive of her studying abroad,
That parental support is incredibly important, said Dennis Swetlik, Rau’s host-father. “Otherwise it’s going to be a very traumatic experience for the student,” he said. “Irina’s been great … quick to acclimate.”
Rau is the Swetlik’s third host-child.
“We have the space, and it’s a good experience for our daughter,” Swetlik said. “Its almost like going to another country.”
Rau will live with the Swetliks until December, then with another family until April 7, and another family to complete the year.
Two Rivers Rotary has helped dozens of youth come to Two Rivers as well as study abroad, said Swetlik, who serves on the Youth Exchange Team with the organization.
The process is lengthy, and only top students are accepted, but anyone meeting certain specifications can capitalize on the opportunity, he said.

To study abroad

The application process is extensive, followed by several interviews, but none are intended to discourage any student from considering their options. Mature students in the top half of their class will be considered. The next class to be considered on present freshmen for the 2006-2007 school year. The Two Rivers Rotary program is one of the least expensive available; a conservative estimate for the year is about $3,000. Parents and students are responsible for travel fees, vaccinations and passports. The host club is responsible for a monthly stipend for the student, a $300 emergency fund, speech classes and health insurance in some cases. For more information, go to www.rotary6270.com, or call Dennis Swetlik at (920) 794-8345.

Swetlik's First Host Family for 2004/2005 Exchange Student

Dennis and Mary Swetlik have agreed to be the first host family for IRINA RAU, daughterof Heinrich and Larissa Rau of Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. We need two more host families. If you know of a potentail host family, please contact Ron Stangel or Dennis Swetlik. Learn about being a host.

Short Note From Irina Rau- 2004/05 Inbound Student

*Irina Rau*

Irina Rau

6/26/04 to Dennis Swetlik- Hello alltogether! Everything is goinig well with me. I was thuesday at the konsulate and have already got my visa. The pictures of you looks very nice! Our holidays start in July, 28. But me and my family will go a little bit earlier, we will make holiday in Kazahstan. We want to visit my grandmother, she is living there. So it is not much time and the schoolyear is over. It would be nice if you send me some informations about the classes. What I wanted you to ask, is weather I can go fishing at the lake, or do I need a licens or things like that? I love fishing, and I have read that there is a fishing club in Two Rivers. I'm very excited to see you all and I thing it will be a great year! Sincerly, Irina

The Swetik's Hear From Irana Rau 4/4/04

Hello!!! How are you? I just get a letter with all the informations about the addresses of you, the school, etc. I looked it up in the internet, the school is very close to the lake, isn't it? I have a few questions, about the weather. How is it like? Here where I live it is not very cold in the winter but also not very hot in the summer and it's wet most of the time. So what clothes should I take with me? And what is about the school, do I need a schooluniform?When do the summer holidays start at the school, I will go to? Do you plan to make holidays with your family in the summer? I'll go with my family to Kazakhstan in the summer, before I'll come to you. What I know about my arrival is, that my flight is on 18th of august and teh arrival airport is in Milwaukee. So, thats it for the moment, if I know more, I'll tell you! ! Please say your girls hello from me, sincerly, Irina (email- rauryder@web.de)

IRINA RAU, 2004/2005 Exchange Student Lives In Schwäbisch Gmünd

Schwäbisch Gmünd, a town of about 70.000 people situated 50km east of the State capital, Stuttgart, in healthy walking, cycling, and gliding terrain. Schwäbisch Gmünd itself is an old free city with a well preserved historical market square and several notable churches. It has a lively and varied cultural programme with exhibitions, museums, theatre, and music from nightly discos to annual church music festivals. The state capital Stuttgart, with its many professional, commercial, and cultural attractions, can be reached in 30 - 40 minutes by rail or road. Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Strassbourg, Basel, and Zurich are about 3 - 3.5 hours away. Berlin, Amsterdam, Milan, Prague, and Vienna are only 6 - 6.5 hours distant.

IRINA Answers 16 Questions In Her Exchange Student Application

l. My favorite subjects are art, maths, English and physical education. In the seventh grade, I was class spokesman.
2. My hobbies are music, dance, hip-hop, reading, volleyball and biking. I play the piano since I am 6 years old. My daily practice time is about 30 minutes, once a week I take piano lessons. Weekly I take one standard lesson and also one hip-hop lesson. I enjoy dancing very much. I have just made an examination for the gold standard medal. Hip-hop lessons I have been taking for four years. In my free time, I like to do sports, especially volleyball and bike riding. In my holidays, I like to read books.
3. In three years, I will finish high school with "Abitur" and then I want to study law, because I am interested in civil rights and justice.
4. I want to work hard on my spoken and written English to the point of getting fluent. Different cultures interest me a lot and I hope to learn a lot of about the country I will be sent to and present my own. I find it important for young people to have an open view to each other.
5. My father works as a machine leader on a spice factory. My mother works as a home economics assistant.
6. I was in Kazakhstan with my parents and my sister for one month. There I visited my family and old friends. I was in Greece, Hungary, Mallorca and Croatia on vacation with my family for two weeks. There we were swimming in the sea and had a lot of fun with sports like beach volleyball and others.
7. I like all kinds of food, I always try everything. Insects are not my favorites. Screaming and choleric people I find difficult to deal with, to me it seams to be an aggression to behave this way.
8. I am patient with other people, friendly, creative, a little bit brave, responsible and purposeful I work hard to achieve my aims.
9. I am sometimes unhappy if something does not work. I always must do something, I can't only sit at home and do nothing.
10. I sleep long, then I have breakfast. I plan something with my friends and we do something, like go swimming or to the cinema, together.
11. I have 13 subjects at school: physic, religion education, history, chemic, maths, German, physical education, English, biology, Latin, music, art and community. I stand up at 6.30 then I have my breakfast and at 7. 20 I go to school. School starts at 7.45. If I have six subjects, each one lasts 45 minutes, I have school until 1 o'clock. When I am at home, I have lunch then I do my homework. Almost everyday I have some activities like dance lessons. I go at about 10 o'clock to bed.
12. I have my own room. I don't share my room with others. I study in my room. My home is about 1 mile from the school away. I walk to school.
13. I have a 15-year-old sister, Olga, she goes to the same school.
14. The city where I live is very beautiful and old. Schwaebisch Gmuend lies in a great countryside. It has many schools, universities and music schools. There are a lot of activities for young people to do. The city has indoor and outdoor swimming pools. It is 30 miles from the capital town Stuttgart and 155 miles from Munich away.
15. My favorite book is The Lord of the Rings from J.R.R.Tolkien. I like fantasy and thrillers. I read not so much because I have not enough time, but if I have time, I love to read.
16. The major issues are: school, because it is sometimes very hard. The future, the situation with work is very difficult, it is very hard to find some education places after you have finish school. The costs, everything is too expensive, youths cannot buy things with their pocket money, almost everyone must work, but not everyone can get a workplace. And the reformatory measures of the government many people are not agreeing with the new reforms. The most important, that I find, is the situation with work in the future. It is no matter how hard you worked at school and what for results you have, it depends on luck whether you got a job.