- November 27, 2024
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While French cultural exchange student Margault Demasles was staying with Bess and Charlton Wall, of Bunnell, she not only got to experience the west side of the county, but thanks to Zoee and Bill Forehand, she also rode the waves on the east coast.
Zoee Forehand, owner of Z-Wave Surf Shop, brushed off her hospitality as nothing outstanding.
“We hope that, if we went to another country, people would do the same for us,” she said of the complementary surf lesson they extended to Demasles.
The Center for Cultural Interchange Local Coordinator Dorothy Kelly, who placed and supervised Demasles’ stay, knows that it was something special.
“One of the reasons that the U.S. Department of State is so behind these student exchanges is to create a better perception of America and Americans and dispel many of the false opinions other countries have of us,” she said. “Their hospitality goes a long way in doing that.”
Through Demasles’ stay in Flagler County she said she has learned a lot more about the culture.
“We were told by our Social Studies teacher that America does not care for its poor or elderly and that the culture is self-serving,” she said. “I’ve learned that that’s not true. I love it here, and everyone is so friendly. I really love Flagler County because of the people and the sunshine and the beach.”
Kelly said that when she hears things like this from students, she knows the program is working.
“I’m so proud of our area and our locals,” Kelly said. “We have a beautiful environment to share with these students. And our warm and welcoming community goes very far toward the international goodwill that this program is so much about.”
Because of their mutual love for horses, Demasles traveled to the Tennessee mountains with the Walls for a weeklong trail ride and camping trip. She also spent time at the Florida Agricultural Museum, learning about the history and swimming with the bareback horses they rode. Demasles is a horseback rider but had no Western riding experience.
“She’s a natural,” said Bess Wall, of Demasles’ adaptation to Western riding.
“Natural” was also the word Bill Forehand, of Z-Wave, used to described Demasles’ surfing abilities.
“It was such a pleasure spending time with her out there in the water,” Forehand said of the planned half-hour lesson that turned into two hours. “We didn’t want to come in. I’m the one who benefitted from this. It’s just so satisfying being around someone who appreciates nature and the ocean like that.”
Wall said that hosting Demasles was a refreshing experience.
“I teach high school and sometimes, after a long school year, I’m a bit burned (out),” Wall said. “My dedication to this age group has been rekindled through not only Margault but her mother, who stayed in frequent communication with me, beginning even before Margault’s arrival. I had her full support and feel like I have not only gained another daughter in Margault, but a sister in Laurence, her mother. I’ve learned a little French but more than that, I have greater respect and love for another culture and country, a people not entirely different from us. I highly recommend this experience for those families who enjoy sharing their lives and being enriched by young people filled with dreams not unlike ours.”
Volunteers needed
Greenheart, the environmental and social awareness initiative of the Center for Cultural Interchange, is seeking local teens to pair up with their international exchange students in a Princess Place Preserve half-day volunteer project 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 19. Teens will expand their cultural horizons, learn the spirit of volunteerism and environmental awareness, and spend time getting to know teens from a world away. Lunch in the park, bottled water and sodas and the project supplies will be provided by Palm Coast Ford. Contact: Dorothy Kelly, CCI local coordinator at 585-4676 or [email protected].
