The trio of Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) college students from Georgia returned from Norway in early August declaring the time spent abroad was a beautiful summer of harmony and personal growth.
Isabel “Izzy” Forster represented District 6900 and the Rotary Club of Buckhead with the endorsement of Rotarian Catherine Land-Waters. Vivian Elizabeth Cassaniti represented District 6910 and the Rotary Club of Athens with the endorsement of Rotarian Jane Kidd. Joshua Dean Youmans represented District 6920 and the Rotary Club of Downtown Statesboro with the endorsement of Rotarian Weikang “Ken” Wang.
“I learned so much of the Norwegian university system, literature, politics, and lifestyle,” Forester said. “After class sessions, I had the pleasure of meeting locals at iconic Oslo landmarks, the Bjørvika pier, and the stunning Deichman Library, touring folk museums, engaging in Sámi art and culture, and basking in what Henrik Ibsen coined friluftsliv, “open air life,” the art of enjoying one’s natural surroundings.”
GRSP Founder William A. Watt, Sr., established a relationship in Norway that is prospering more than 70 years later as college students from Georgia spend six weeks in the summer studying at the International Summer School (ISS) at the University of Oslo. The opportunity is the result of a partnership with the university, GRSP and Rotarians in Oslo.
“At the ISS, I read Norwegian literature and observed the political science pedagogy from Norwegian, American, and international perspectives,” Forester added. “Outside classroom discussions, my experience was enriched by honest conversations on governments, cultural preservation and reconciliation, and university education systems worldwide. The GRSP ISS exchange came at a pivotal point in my academic and personal life. I am so humbled and grateful for this experience and the ways in sharpened my character and expanded my connections to every corner of the globe.”
The trio thanked their sponsoring clubs and Rotarians as well as all those who made it possible for their summer studies. Applications for Summer Session 2025 will open in October 2024 on the GRSP website, www.GRSP.org. College students from Georgia, ages 20-24 who will have completed their freshman year of college by Spring 2025, may submit an application with the recommendation of an active Rotarian in Georgia.
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