Recent Garfield graduate Owen Bass is not used to being the new kid in school but will experience that for the first time when he travels to India for an entire school year as the Garfield-Hiram Rotary Club’s Exchange Student as a part of the Rotary District 6630 Youth Exchange Program.
“It is a cultural exchange as well as an educational exchange,” Bass told The Weekly Villager on July 24. “I graduated this year so I will be taking a gap year and going to high school in India but really I am more focused to learn about culture and languages there.”
Bass departed for India last Friday and is scheduled to return to the United States in May. He was selected as a member of the Rotary Youth Exchange Ohio-Erie Multidistrict committee, which includes Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, West Virginia and North Carolina. Bass will be a part of a group of 40 American students traveling across the globe for a school year to gain a new perspective.
When Bass returns, he will resume his studies at the University of Akron, having already enrolled before graduating from Garfield. It is unclear whether he will receive any credits from his studies abroad.
Bass said that he applied to be the G-H Rotary Club’s Exchange student before his senior year, noting he and his family had hosted a female Indian exchange student, Sarrah Master, during the previous school year. He said that he became good friends with her and was inspired to apply himself, for the trip.
According to Bass, her growth from learning about American traditions, customs and teachings served as an eye-opening experience for him and what would possibly be in store for him when it was his turn to eventually make the trip overseas.
“She was from the middle of India and every place is different obviously but it changes a lot with every kilometer,” he said. “I learned a lot about the festivals they have over there, and the seasons are not similar. Really everything is different pretty much.”
Bass will live with a host family for the school year and will take several high school classes in Baroda State, located in Gujarat, a state along the Western coast of India. Bass’ flight, expenses and amenities have been paid for by his family, but his host family will be responsible for things he will need once he arrives.
According to Bass, the Rotary Youth Exchange program usually sends many students to European countries, but they decided not to participate in the exchange program for this school year so most American students are being sent to Southeast Asia or Asian countries for the year-long study abroad program.
Bass said he has participated in monthly camps over the last year that would better prepare him for his year-long travels and has also been tutored by a Hindi instructor so he can better learn the official language. While in India, he will focus his studies on humanities courses.
“It is a more understandable path for someone like me who is not accustomed to the Indian educational system,” he acknowledged.
Bass also added that it will be a unique experience for him to be representing Garrettsville in a much larger city.
“I think I will find when I get there how much it means to represent such a rural part of America because there are not many white people in India so to break stereotypes would be a big part of it and also share culture and food,” he added.
In addition to studying humanities, Bass said he also is interested in attending several of the local Indian festivals such as Navratri, an annual Hindu festival that observes the honor of the goddess Durga or Holi, a celebration of the victory of good over evil including the destruction of the demon goddess Holika.
“It is definitely influenced by Western cultures but it is going to be a different experience than I am used to and hopefully I will open my eyes to different things I am not used to,” he said.
Although Bass will be in an unfamiliar land, he said he believes he will find his footing quickly, as he is the type of person who thrives on making instant connections.
“I am open to meeting new people and I love talking to new people,” he said. “I think that they are not as experienced with foreigners over there, it will be easier to make friends.”
