Judah Senior Escapes to South America

Amelia Kerlin in Argentina

Spending time studying abroad will make it clearer to you what you truly want to do with your life and how you want to go about it. You will learn more about yourself as you experience the culture of the country you’re in compared to your own.

That’s why Judah senior Amelia Kerlin recently escaped the confines of Judah Christian School for the humid subtropical climate of La Plata, Argentina, where she lived along the Rio de la Plata on the Atlantic coast of South America. There, in the winter-is-summer and summer-is-winter southern hemisphere, Amelia studied abroad for a whole year, with beautiful violet-flowering jacaranda trees surrounding her.

The Rotary Youth Exchange program provided Amelia with this escape route. This program gives students the chance to unlock their potential to “develop lifelong leadership skills, learn a new language and culture, build lasting friendships with young people from around the world, and become a global citizen.” 

Fortunately for Amelia, she already knew quite a bit of Spanish, as she was in a dual-language program when she was younger. But this Spanish training didn’t remove the challenges of going to a new area and having to learn how they speak there, especially since Argentine Spanish is notoriously different. Amelia had to push through these linguistic difficulties to continue in her knowledge of Spanish. The Rotary Youth Exchange program doesn’t require any knowledge of the country’s language for you to study abroad, but Amelia tells us that “it is very helpful to know at least a little bit of the language.” Her Spanish made it easier for her to get used to the area. 

Amelia did say that she “would recommend Rotary even if you don’t speak any language other than English.” You can escape from Judah and learn the language once you get there. Amelia said that you shouldn’t let the language barrier get in the way of studying abroad during high school if it’s something you want to do to grow.

Amelia plans to go to college to get her bachelor of science degree in nursing. The Rotary program has certainly helped Amelia achieve this goal. By studying abroad in another country, Amelia realized that she could be a travel nurse who goes to other countries to help people. Amelia says that studying abroad as a high school student has improved her understanding of other people’s perspectives. It has taught her to “be more adaptable.” 

These new skills show how productive studying abroad can be. Amelia says that “it has helped me empathize with people more.” She says, “If I’m ever a nurse and I serve people from other countries, which I’m sure nurses do all the time, now I can see life through their eyes a bit better.” Amelia’s escape from Judah has truly helped her grow and learn more about what she wants to do in the future. It has made her more confident and ready to serve people in other countries.

You will encounter many cultural differences in your time in another country should you choose to escape from Judah too. Amelia tells us that “it was definitely interesting to see the United States of America from the Argentinian perspective. At the school I was at, they had a very negative view of us. So that was a bit hard to hear as an American.” Seeing others’ point of view isn’t always easy, but we can still learn and grow from it. 

Amelia embraced the Argentine perspective. She said, “It helped me to see their point of view. You learn to be more adaptable, more teachable, more understanding.” This is a vital skill that will benefit her as a travel nurse. By escaping to Argentina, Amelia started to learn to escape her prejudices, which is a skill she will carry into her career.

Since Amelia has an advanced knowledge of Spanish, she recently took the test to qualify for the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy. Mrs. Haegele, the high school Spanish teacher, shared information about it, saying, “It’s a state program that recognizes the importance of being bilingual and encourages bilingualism in high school graduates.” Taking this test was a way for Amelia to prove that she truly is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Because she has fulfilled the requirements, Amelia can confidently say and prove that she is biliterate. Amelia will get a seal of biliteracy from the state that will go on her high school diploma. Mrs. Haegele said that “universities or colleges recognize this seal and offer credits for having achieved it.” So obtaining this seal saves time and money in college.

The adventure Amelia took is an example of the benefits that stepping out of your comfort zone can offer. While she was in Argentina, Amelia learned more about herself and made plans for her future career. Although she already had knowledge of Spanish, she refined her linguistic skills. Experiencing Argentine culture was an invaluable experience for Amelia. She has developed skills that will continue to help her throughout her life. 

If you want to consider how the Rotary Youth Exchange program can help you grow, talk to Judah’s guidance counselor and international student advisor, Mrs. Miller. She can help you escape from Judah too.

—Suzana Coulter, class of ’27