Kody Rogers

On August 10th, 2013 I left my country for a Rotary Youth Exchange to Guaracai, Sao Paulo, Brazil. When I came back almost one year later on July 14th, 2014 a lot about me had changed. Rotary is an international service organization that helps people all over the world. They promote peace with their exchange program & many other projects. I can confidently say, after taking part in their exchange program, that they promote much more than peace. Before I left for Brazil I didn’t have a clue of what I wanted to do, I was content leading a sedentary lifestyle. Brazil and the Rotary Youth Exchange gave me the motivation, inspiration & tools that I needed to do more with my life.

Before I left for Brazil a friend of mine, Lucas, asked me if I had any plans for when I returned from my exchange. I told him I had no idea! Lucas talked to me about looking into engineering, specifically the field of mechatronics. At first I was overwhelmed by just the name mechatronics! He explained a bit further & it sounded a bit more interesting. It sounded really difficult though, something I thought only people like Nikola Tesla could master, not me. I did some research on the field and became aware that it was the study of mechanical, electronic, system and software engineering. In this field, it was impossible to stop learning because it changes every day; there is always something new to learn. I also found, through my research, that the prestigious University of Waterloo is the only university in Canada that offers the courses to achieve a degree in mechatronics. All of these facts made becoming a mechatronics engineer look even more challenging. Even though I thought it was above me, it stayed in the back of my mind throughout my year in Brazil.

My year in Brazil presented me with a lot of challenges that, not without struggle, I was able to overcome and gain confidence through. I made an entirely new network of friends, and by doing this, I gained a larger assurance in myself when talking to people. I believe that I already had some sort of confidence, but my exchange really helped me build on that. I spent a year away from everything I had ever known, I was terrified to go somewhere new, with a brand new language, new people, new food, new everything! I had to learn Portuguese – not an easy feat. After hard work & many mistakes, I was and am able to enjoy the language. The unknown, I discovered, is nothing to be scared of; anything new can be fun, you just have to go into it with a positive attitude. Little did I know that the new people part of my trip would be one of the easiest parts. My host parents were very nice people; they introduced me to things like Brazilian Barbecue, new cities, and people that I now call friends for the rest of my life.

Brazilian Barbecue was one of the best things I took part in and learned about on exchange. It is a regular barbecue but they serve the meat as if it were a bowl of chips. It is more like a party since there is at least twenty people at a good barbecue. It’s a great way to meet and get to know new people. Brazilian Barbecue wasn’t even my favourite thing during my year away though, my favourite part of exchange was Capoeira!

My experience with Capoeira started on a Tuesday night in Guaracai when a new friend of mine, Patrick, knocked on our door and asked if I wanted to watch a martial arts practice. I was immediately interested and said yes. When we got there, the martial artists were stretching – not the most interesting of stuff. After stretching they began with their “basic moves,” although I thought it looked anything but basic! When the students were done their basic moves the Master, Master Cyclone asked Patrick and I to join them in the roda, which is kind of like a scrimmage in hockey, but for Capoeira. When we all started to do the roda I understood why they called what they were doing before basic. The instructors were doing moves that I would have thought impossible for the human body if I wasn’t seeing with my own two eyes. I played with them for a bit, but I was sure I looked like a fool. At the end of the practice Master Cyclone approached me and gave me all the details about taking Capoeira; how much it would cost, how many hours of training I would get each week & what kind of clothes I needed. I agreed to start at the next class.

I began my official training with Master Cyclone and the other instructors a few days later. Master Cyclone told me, during my very first practice, that I should do a cartwheel. I thought he was insane! I hadn’t done a cartwheel in… had I ever done a cartwheel?! Master still made me try. I tried and tried and tried. Master pushed me and after many failed attempts and weeks of practice, I was able to successfully do a cartwheel, even if it was quite a crooked one. This was great motivation for me, if I could “master” a cartwheel, what else could I master? I went to every single one and a half hour classes, three times a week for six months. After six months of falling, failing, getting up and trying again and again I can proudly say that I am able to do most of the basic moves of Capoeira. I still have to learn how to defy gravity like Master Cyclone and the other instructors, but I have come a long way. Working with Master Cyclone and the other instructors, who, put together, had over 150 years of experience in Capoeira provided me with a great experience in Brazil. I was able to gain more and more confidence with each practice. Practicing this martial art motivated me more than anything else during my year there. I did something that was nothing like I had ever done before; I had pushed myself to succeed.

Training in Capoeira also allowed me to gain interest in running. I was trying to lose weight in order to get better at the martial art and running was a good solution. While running, I discovered that I actually liked running. The longest I had run before leaving for Brazil was a mile, and that was mandatory for gym class! The longest I have run now is 10 miles and I now run almost every day. Running has been almost as challenging as learning the basic moves of Capoeira. By training both in Capoeira and in running I have overcome obstacles I had thought impossible.

Brazil changed me for the better. It helped me overcome challenges that gave me confidence to try new things. Capoeira motivated me to overcome other challenges and motivated me to seek out and complete new challenges like running. All of this new confidence and motivation has driven me to pursue a career in engineering. I now know that if I can move almost 10,000 kilometres away for a whole year, try new food, learn a different language, and meet brand new people that I can do anything! Rotary and their Youth Exchange Program gave me an amazing opportunity to travel to Brazil and I will never forget the incredible time I spent there.