Houlton High Times writer
Last year, Houlton High School student Chris McGuire experienced an exchange that lasted from June 13 to Aug. 4. His exchange was provided by the Houlton Rotary Club with a program named the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. He went to Finland during this time. When asked if he would do it again, he replied with just one word, “Definitely.”
ROTARY EXCHANGE — From left, Chris McGuire of Houlton High School and Dayna Tidd of Hodgdon High School are pictured here with their Rotary Exchange students who visited this past summer from Finland.
Chris was matched up with a student named Roope Cuomala. Chris said the language factor was not an issue “because they start to learn English when they are 10.”
While Roope was here, he and Chris climbed Mount Katahdin, played soccer and went to hockey camp.
During the time in Finland, Roope and Chris went to music festivals and played different sports including floorball and soccer.
Chris noted that the people in Finland do not have land line phones and that they use cell phones for businesses and home phones. Roope was impressed with the grocery store due to most items are diet friendly in Finland.
Chris and Roope got along very well and plan to keep in touch.
“We Instant Message and we are making plans for another trip. People thought that we looked like brothers,” said Chris.
