24 November 2008- The vibrancy of Argentinean culture is set to amaze 17-year-old Latham resident, Kaytlin Hancock, when she visits the energetic South American country on high school exchange in 2009. The budding young Australian ambassador has been awarded a prestigious Commonwealth Department of Defence Scholarship courtesy of AFS Australia, in recognition of her academic excellence and cultural curiosity. This unique exchange opportunity provides Kaytlin with a stable foundation upon which she can build her intercultural awareness and sense of global citizenship.
Kaytlin, who attends Hawker College, was recognised by AFS Australia for her initiative to work in the school community and proactive attitude towards managing her future. Kaytlin’s rapport with her peers earned her a prestigious spot in the school’s Student Council as a representative for the student body and she has also acted as a Peer Support Leader in 2007. She has represented her school and community in myriad sporting disciplines including soccer, gymnastics, swimming, rugby and dance. She has also been actively involved in the performing arts as the lead in her school musical where she was able to showcase her singing skills, and abilities in playing the guitar and piano.
Always open to plunging headfirst into new experiences, Kaytlin believes a year in Argentina will be a prime opportunity to test her abilities as a student, an Australian ambassador and a global citizen. “I love a challenge and always try and take part in new things,” she said. “I believe we all need a challenge in our lives, or life itself would be dull. I think being an exchange student would be the most amazing experience I could ever have.”
Kaytlin cannot wait to compare her life as a Latham teenager to that of her Argentinean counterparts. “I’ve always dreamed of discovering new terrain as I have lived in Canberra my whole life. I would love to have an adventure in a foreign country and experience new situations and cultures which would help me in life. Although Australia is a very multicultural country I would love to explore a new country,” she said. “It is a once in a life chance to discover myself and recognise where I want to go in life.”
AFS Australia is supported by over 40 organisations and individuals to offer more scholarships than any other exchange organisation. Each year AFS Australia provides 60 bright and enthusiastic Australian students the opportunity to study abroad and experience life from a new perspective. In 2008, AFS Australia received hundreds of applications from young people all over the country. The process of selecting scholarship finalists was very competitive with each student being asked to demonstrate their cultural awareness, academic achievements and involvement with the community. This year, 60 scholarship winners join the list of over 15,000 Australian teenagers who have participated in an AFS exchange program since 1959. More information is available at www.afs.org.au
About the Commonwealth Department of Defence Scholarship
The Commonwealth Department of Defence has been a sponsor of AFS Australia since 2000. Since its inception, 48 children of Defence Force employees have been given the opportunity to study overseas on a fully funded scholarship. This year the Defence Force has offered scholarships to eight Australian teenagers to engage in learning by living in another country. The program is run to provide scholarship winners with the teaching and experience to increase their cultural awareness and grow as a responsible global citizen.
AFS Intercultural Programs is one of the world’s largest not-for-profit community-based volunteer organisations and is dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world through intercultural exchange. A network of 52 AFS partner organisations run programs involving over 11,000 students, young adults and teachers each year. AFS Australia has sent over 15,000 Australian teenagers overseas and hosted more than 25,000 exchange students and community service volunteers since 1959. For more information about AFS, visit www.afs.org.au or email [email protected].
