Today’s spotlight is on Soren, sponsored by the Rotary Club of St. Augustine. Soren is on exchange in Kyoto, Japan; his host club is the Rotary Club of Kyoto-Rakuto.

Here is an excerpt from Soren's latest journal:
"... My school also has a fantastic exchange program, which provides me with tons of benefits. Like this past Wednesday (the 15th of October) I attended Kabuki. Kabuki is a form of classical theatre and is quite a privilege to watch it, to my knowledge, and I was given tickets for free from my school. I have also been given tours of different factories and exclusive areas due to my school’s program. On the topic of school, school is so much more enjoyable than American schools. It might be because I am extremely popular in school..."

Read Soren’s latest journal entry (https://www.rye6970.org/2025-26-soren-outbound-to-japan-october/) , and follow his adventures by following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/2650soren/).

For over 50 years, the Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) program has provided young persons with a safe, immersive opportunity to learn a new language, discover another culture, and become global citizens. As a catalyst for service, cultural understanding, and lifelong connections to Rotary, RYE builds world peace one exchange at a time.

During the 205-26 academic year, District 6970 is supporting four Outbound students living in three continents; their experiences will be highlighted throughout the year in this newsletter. Learn more about District 6970’s RYE at https://www.rye6970.org/. Host families are needed for the spring ’26 semester and the 2026-27 academic year. Learn more and apply to be a host family at: https://www.rye6970.org/host-a-student/.