Mariana Divardin

2005-06 Inbound from Brazil

Date of Birth: December 21, 1989

Hometown: Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil

Sponsor: Ponta Grossa Oeste Rotary Club, District 4730, Brazil

Host: Edgewater Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA

School: New Smyrna Beach High School

Bio

Mariana's Bio

To be an exchange student always was one of my goals. I am so happy and excited that Rotary gave me this opportunity to show a little bit of the beauty, history and culture of my country, learn another language, see other places and a different way of life.

My name is Mariana, I am 15 years old, and I live in the State of Parana, Ponta Grossa City, in the South of Brazil. I have a younger brother (Bruno), 11 years old. My mom (Gisele) is an English teacher and my dad (Cesar) is a manager of the Bank of Brazil. I miss them a lot, they are a lovely family and give me all the support that I need.

I am staying in New Smyrna Beach, with Don and Joanne Roberts, hosted by the Edgewater Rotary Club, for almost a month, and I am loving everything. My school (New Smyrna Beach High School) started on August 8th, and I am getting used to it. Everything is really different but I do like it.

I love sports. I did swimming from 2 years old until 10 years old, and I started playing tennis when I was 7, I love to do it. I always listen to music, dance and I read a little too.

I am enjoying my stay here, and I have met some good friends. I expect do a lot more during this year. I am having fun!

My grandmother and my mom came to USA when they were younger, and that encouraged me to enjoy this program. Now I see how much they learned with that and I hope I can learn with my experiences and opportunities.

It is not easy to leave your country, your family, your friends, but now I am seeing that it certainly is worth all this process.

Thanks for the opportunity.

Mariana

September 19 Journal

Hey everybody! How are you?

I am very good and very happy too. I already been at the beach, at the mall, football games, movies, a lot of things! My days here have been very different and I am enjoying a lot! The opportunity is unique and I am learning how to make my own decisions with responsibility.

My school (New Smyrna Beach High School) is getting better every day. I am meeting new people and making some friends. Here my school didn't have the Interact Club, so I and three other students that participated in RYLA in the summer (and they really liked it) started one. Our first meeting was last week and I am very excited. I think that this program is going to work! The kids are very dedicated and the most important is that they want to be part of Rotary Interact, like me. The Interact group (members and advisor) had the pleasure of meeting the District Governor at the Edgewater Rotary Club annual visit. I want to thank the Club as well as the District Governor for all their support.

Ow, the "Homecoming" is next month! My school is getting ready for the Parade, the game and the dance! I think it is going to be great!

I am looking forward our next meeting when all the exchange students will be with their host families! I want to see all again!

I hope that everybody is having fun as much as I am!

Here is my site on the internet where you can see some of my pictures www.fotolog.net/mari_diva 

Hugs and Kisses! =)

November 2 Journal and Pictures

After three months here everything has been more than great!

At my school I had good grades and I made new friends. Our Interact group, during the Homecoming, sold "snow cones" and popcorn to raise money to start our projects. Homecoming Dance, a dance of my school, was very fun and different, I enjoyed hearing what kind of music they listen to and seeing how they dance. One word to describe it: Crazy!

On October first I went to play a tennis tournament in Ormond Beach, a city near New Smyrna, and I won! It was so good because before I came to US, I was hurt and I hadn't played in tournaments for a long time.

The meeting with all the exchange students at DeLeon Springs in Deland was perfect! We laughed so much, and I had a great time. It was good to talk with people that are here for the same reason that I am. I loved the breakfast (the pancakes were great!). In the morning we went canoeing (after I came back I discovered that the lake was full of alligators!), and we swam in cold spring water. I was very happy to see everybody, but I missed some people who didn't show up. After lunch, some Rotarians took us to the Biketoberfest (a motorcycle weekend). And they say that Carnival in Brasil is Crazy! =)

Last week was very busy. I am in dance class at my school, and we had a Halloween Show on Wednesday and Thursday (26 and 27- October). I had so much fun! Our faces looked all white with black eyes; we were like dead people. It was awesome!

On Sunday Julie (France), Kuba (Poland), Olga (Russia) and I went to the Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando (Universal Studios). It was so scary!!!! People with costumes were coming from the bushes, running after us! I had so much fun. We rode some roller coasters too. My first Halloween here was awesome. I carved a pumpkin, it stayed so cute, and at night I went to my Host Dad's son's house to see the kids with costumes doing trick or treat. I have so much candy now!

As you can see I am enjoying a lot! Every day I learn something new, it is just awesome!

I want to go to Disney World! This will be fun!

Kisses and Hugs =***

Mari

January 7 Journal

I completed 5 months here on December 25, Christmas Day. Everything is going so fast that is hard to believe that I am in the middle of my exchange program.

In the beginning of December, the exchange students of this district and from other districts, went to Disney World for four days. I had a great time! I love roller-coasters, so you can imagine me there! Meeting the others exchange students was really nice, but it's sad that they are living far away.

I played an International Tennis Tournament too in Orlando, and I won!!!! I am very happy for this!

On December 21st was my sweet 16 birthday! My host family did an awesome party at the house for me. They invited some friends and the exchange students that live closer. They made a Nemo (the fish) piñata for me! That was the cutest thing ever! We danced a lot and had a lot of fun! I want to thank them for the awesome day!

The next day, Bill Griffin (Kuba's host dad) took me, Julie (France), Kuba (Poland), and Ana to the USA Daytona Race Car. I really enjoyed the simulations, the tour and everything! It was a new and fun experience. At night, in the Rotary Club meeting, they had a surprise party for me! It was a big surprise, with cake, presents, and the people who actually are my American family and always care about and support me there! I had an unforgettable two-days birthday!!!!

On Christmas morning, when I woke up, I had a full stocking and presents under the tree. We had coffee cake for breakfast and right after that I was sitting on the floor opening my presents! After a while, after I get dressed =), my host parents and I went to their son's house for dinner. We all laughed, had a nice dinner and guess what? They had more presents under the tree. They all exchanged presents and I received more! I have never had so many presents before! It was great see all the decorated houses and how people really care about each other.

For the New Year, the exchange students had the opportunity to participate at the Gator Bowl Parade. I had so much fun distributing lollipops for the kids and carrying the flags. After that we went to Teresa and Bob Harrington's house, who gave us a wonderful New Years Party! I spent the night at the house and in the morning we had a delicious breakfast. They were great and they provided for all of us an awesome New Year!

I want to thank everybody and especially my first host family (Don and Joanne Roberts) for who I am grateful for everything. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have had half of the great time that I had. So thanks again for the opportunity and for staying with me for 5 months (must not be an easy thing to do - hehehehe). I am really happy and excited to start a new phase of the program with a new Host Family and new experiences!

I hope to see all the exchange students at Sea Camp!

April 20 Journal and Pictures

Heyy everybody! How are you?

I am great! My tennis season started on February at school and I am having a lot of fun! We practice almost every day in the afternoon. In our team we have about 12 girls and 6 boys, but actually only 5 boys and 5 girls can play the real matches. We played against 7 other schools and we finished in third! The team accepted me really well and the coolest thing was that they voted me to be their captain! I was soo happy and surprised!!!

I played for New Smyrna Beach High School as number one seed and I finished in second at the Five-Star Conference (Tournament). During the season I had the opportunity to play with Geraldine from Switzerland, and we had a good time. At the school that she goes to, they have 2 girls from Brazil on the tennis team, and I loved to talk Portuguese and hang out with them! In fact last week we had the prom from my school at USA Daytona Speedway, and the girls went with me! The girls spent the night and the next day we went practice some tennis and of course, relax on the pool! hauhauha... Our tennis team played Districts on Monday and Tuesday too, and we finished in second!

Our Interact Club did some projects for Valentine's Day and last Saturday we had a car wash fundraiser at the parking lot of Burger King in Edgewater, and we raised some good money to send to Nicaragua as a reforestation program. I would like to thanks the Rotary of Edgewater for the support.

The Rotary Club of Edgewater also had their annual Cadillac Party, and was really fun help to sell tickets at the door and see how great the party came out! They did an amazing job!

It is getting hot! I usually do not get that excited about it, but now I have a pool that I can lay down and work on my tan, because when I get home will be winter and my friends will be all white hehehehe... I am very glad that on May 19th the exchange students are going to meet again in St. Augustine! It has been a while! Since Sea Camp that we don't see each other and I hope we can have fun like always! See you all there! Love ya