Parent News - Keith McCann

Thu 21 Dec 2006

Keith McCann, from Mt Lawley Senior High School in Perth, is currently on our Long Program to Brazil. His mother has sent us some great feedback.

I was looking over the Student Exchange Australia website today and noticed some comments by parents and host parents, and thought “… what a good idea!”

Our son Keith departed Perth, Australia, for 11 months in Brazil in February 2006 and is due back in early January 2007 and it has been, without a doubt, the best ‘life-changing’ experience he could possibly have had and I am absolutely delighted with all aspects of the program.

Keith was lucky enough to be hosted by the one family for the entire 11 months and immediately became accepted into a huge extended family that spans the generations. They have welcomed him like a son and their hospitality has been, quite simply, outstanding.

Becoming part of an extended family has been particularly special for Keith as we are not a large family. So for Keith to suddenly find himself in the middle of grandparents, uncles and aunties and cousins, lots and lots of cousins, has been wonderful.

Keith has three host brothers, with the middle brother Ivan spending this year in NSW, Australia. We were lucky enough to have Ivan visit us for 10 days recently, and it felt like we were welcoming a member of the family and it was great fun showing off Perth.

Keith’s host family taken him on holiday trips around the beautiful nation of Brazil, and I have to admit I knew little about the country before Keith’s visit but am now planning to visit within the next few years – it has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

I was initially concerned that it would be difficult for Keith to pick up Portuguese, but to my stunned amazement and very great pleasure and pride, he picked up the language within months. He now has no problems conversing in Portuguese – in fact I have noticed his typed messages (thank you msn!) are becoming a bit ‘back to front’ as he now has to translate from Portuguese back into English.

From day one he dealt with the transition from a comfortable home life to independence with gusto – even coping with flight and terminal changes in Argentina on his way over to Brazil (he travelled over on his own) with no drama.

All in all his time away, while drawing to a close now, has been an extraordinary adventure for him and we are so proud that he has coped with all the changes so well. This includes schooling in physics, maths and chemistry in Portuguese! – when anyone that knows him will tell you that Keith’s maths skills are not his strong suit.

I now know that Keith is better equipped to cope with whatever life deals him, and that is a very satisfying realisation. Well done Keith!

We have never regretted giving him this opportunity to experience a completely different culture, and we would like to thank Student Exchange Australia for everything they have done.

Ann-Marie McCann
December 20, 2006
Perth, WA.