After a second round of interviews and applications, three more high school students have been chosen to study abroad through the Rotary Youth Exchange next school year. Due to openings in other clubs within the district, three more candidates were selected, bringing to six students the total who will travel next year.

Seniors Jack Murray and Arianna Keyser from Wenatchee High School, and senior Brittany Dudek from Eastmont High School were notified on Dec. 2 that they have been chosen for the exchange. On Dec. 8, the three students were told the country to which they will be traveling to, along with the first round of students chosen for the exchange junior Darbi Colson, senior Joy Baumeister, and senior Abe Sinay-Smith.

Murray will travel to Germany, Keyser to Belgium, Colson to Denmark, Baumeister to The Netherlands, Smith to Italy, and Dudek to South Korea, to study in school while living with host families in the area.

“I was shocked when I found out. I didn’t believe it,” Murray said. “But I am really excited and I’ve been looking forward to this for a while and I was happy to get another opportunity.”

The first three students were chosen after an initial application, interview, and a letter from each of them and their parents written to their future host families. A secondary application and interview were used to choose Murray, Keyser, and Dudek.

There were a total of 15 students to apply for the Youth Exchange this year. “As a club, we are delighted to see many WHS students showing interest in becoming Rotary Exchange students over the past two years,” Youth Exchange Outbound Coordinator Melissa Hernandez said. “We are so thrilled six of them will be going on exchange this coming school year.”

Students are scheduled to leave in late July to early August and travel for 10 months, but the date of departure varies for each.