Carson McHaney

Elks National Foundation 2016 Most Valuable Student Scholarship

-EssayComing to live in the quaint French speaking town of Bulle, Switzerland for a year long
Rotary Youth Exchange is a fabulous opportunity yet a radical change from my family upbringing
in my Northern California hometown. While I am currently engaged in my exchange and cannot
reflect on the experience as a whole, I have realized that I came to Switzerland with stereotypes and
misconceptions and I have faced challenges that I did not expect. However, I have learned life
lessons that I otherwise may never have experienced.
As expected, the new language has been difficult, but with time and effort, I have become
more confident, allowing me to develop more meaningful relationships with colleagues and my host
family. Language issues are the obvious challenge that Rotary prepares students for when going
abroad. What they dont prepare you for are the challenges that are unique to you as an individual.
For me, these personal challenges pierced to my very core.
The arts are an essential characteristic of who I am, and I did not anticipate the conflicts I
would have with my host family over music. They are generous people yet they did not support my
pursuit of excellence in music through dedicated practice, and expressed that they thought they
were getting an exchange student, not a musician. After the first few weeks, my host parents placed
restrictions on when I could practice my violin. Soon thereafter, they made it clear that no practice
in the house would be tolerated. I was devastated, and felt rejected by the closest thing I had to a
family in Switzerland.
With music virtually squeezed out of my life, I became conscious of how integral and
defining it was to my sense of self. I could not thrive without music and I reached out to
sympathetic people who helped me locate several places to accommodate my practicing needs.
Although this has been a disappointment, it has also opened my eyes to a different viewpoint and
has been a catalyst for finding other ways to achieve my goals.
As I transition to my second host family, I am leaving behind many of the preconceptions I
brought to Switzerland. I am now better prepared to respect and adapt to different values and
traditions, which is an essential part of the exchange experience. I am not in Switzerland to live my
life in the same manner as before, I am here to acclimate to a new culture and broaden my
perspective. This has provided me with the unexpected benefit of a new appreciation for the place
where I was raised, and for the community of people who have both nurtured and influenced me
growing up and who support my musical passion.
Sometimes in life you go looking for one thing and you find something altogether different
that is fundamentally more valuable. Although I may still have some preconceived ideas, I am now
better prepared to adapt to differences and to find value through diversity.

Signature:

Date: 12/3/2015