Ottolini Shares Italy Foreign Exchange Experience

Holden Ottolini of Coudersport, PA, provided an overview of his recent travels abroad to Imola, Italy this past summer to the Coudersport Rotary Club, describing the experience as maturing and eye-opening.

Holden was one of (3) area students that was able to participate in the Coudersport Rotary Club’s short-term foreign exchange program this past summer.  According to Ottolini, some of the places he visited in Italy included the Vatican, Rome and Bologna.  He described the roads in Italy are very narrow with most residents commuting by rail, bicycle and skooters and the area to be rich in culture, history and art.

Holden felt Italy was the fashion capital of the world where students begin their days earlier than most students in the U.S., finishing by 1:00 p.m., and dressing up for school in fashionably tight pants and shirts.  The most popular sport in Italy was motorcycle and car racing and observed a great appreciation by the Italians for New York City in particular.

Giovanni Talli, the son of Holden’s Italian host family, returned with Holden to the U.S. where he got to tour Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Coudersport, PA, before returning to Italy for his 2010 school year.  Darwin and Marlene Ottolini, sponsored Giovanni’s short stay in the U.S. in exchange for Holden’s summer stay with the Talli’s in Imola, Italy.

Anyone interested in learning more about the short-term foreign exchange program should contact the Coudersport Rotary Club at (814) 203-3933.