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PAGE A8, KEIZERTIMES, JULY 6, 2018 KeizerCommunity KEIZERTIMES.COM Rotary exchange student lives dream By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes From his home in Austria, Emil Salmhofer dreamed of living in the United States. So when he arrived as a Keizer Rotary Club Ex- change Student last August, Salmhofer made sure to see as much as possible, visiting Port- land, Crater Lake, the Oregon Coast, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix. “I’m really glad that I could travel this much during my year here and pretty much saw most of the major cities at the west coast,” Salmhofer said. “It’s just something I dream of back in Austria. Everything here seems so far away but I’m really here and I’m going through all these cities and liv- ing this life. It’s so awesome.” Salmhofer, age 16, is from Salzburg, Austria, a city of more than 150,000 people, best known in America as the setting for the musical and fi lm The Sound of Music. “It’s really pretty. There’s a river (Salzach) fl oating through downtown Salzburg and there’s a castle (Hohen- salzburg Fortress) and lots of tourists from mostly Asian countries but some American tourists too. It’s just a beautiful city and I love living there but I really enjoyed my year here, too.” Salmhofer, who speaks three languages, began learn- ing English in the fi fth grade. His father introduced him to American bands like AC/ DC. Now he listens to more R&B and rap. “I always had this interest in learning English,” Salmhofer said. “I feel like my English improved a lot during my year here.” Salmhofer felt lucky to be placed in Oregon and Keizer. “I’m just super glad that I got to go to McNary,” Salm- hofer said. “It’s a really good school and I made a lot of friends. It’s going to be sad once I really leave.” Salmhofer immediately got involved at McNary, joining KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley Emil Salmhofer, a Keizer Rotary exchange student from Salzburg, Austria, played soccer and tennis for McNary High School. the soccer team. Salmhofer began playing soccer when he was 4 but quit two years ago to focus on school. “Coach (Miguel) Camare- na treated me super nice and I really appreciate him being my coach,” Salmhofer said. “I had lots of fun with the soccer team and I made lots of friends there, too. It was just so much fun and I wish I could play one more season. I’ll probably play soccer when I return to Austria because I just re-dis- covered my love for soccer.” In the winter, Salmhofer enjoyed cheering on the bas- ketball team. “I pretty much went to every game,” Salmhofer said. “They were so entertaining for me and it was so cool to see us win the GVC in basketball. That was probably one of the highlights of my exchange.” In the spring, Salmhofer tried a sport he’d never played before, tennis, and even won his fi rst match with doubles partner Brayden Lyda. To be with kids his own age, Salmhofer took junior classes like algebra and chemistry as well as electives like weights. “I enjoyed working out in school,” Salmhofer said. “That’s something that we don’t have in Europe. “Everyone’s talking down the American education sys- tem but I don’t feel like it’s bad. I liked that you mix sport and school together. That’s re- ally nice. I wish we would so something like that in Europe. I feel like most people are pretty smart here, too.” Salmhofer was also able to participate in McNary’s grad- uation ceremony, even though he’ll have three years of high school remaining when he re- turns to Austria. “That was so cool that I got to have the experience of graduating even though I didn’t really get a diploma,” Salmhofer said. “I’m glad I got to do that because I feel like that’s something that I won’t forget my entire life.” For Rotary, Salmhofer at- tended meetings each Thurs- day and participated in community service projects— planting trees at Keizer Rapids Park and cleaning up at City Hall. “In the beginning it’s not that hard,” Salmhofer said of being an exchange student. “The fi rst few months go by easy and then around Christ- mas time, you slowly start re- alizing how far you really are away from your parents. You’re not alone but you’ve known $ most people for not more than two or three months. I’m glad I had friends who helped me through darker times of my exchange even though they weren’t really dark. They helped me when I missed my family or my dog.” Salmhofer returned to Aus- tria on July 1. 2 OFF 00 any flat or half-flat of berries Jones Farm KEIZER ROTARY AMPHITHEATER THE BIG TIME AT KEIZER RAPIDS PARK FREE 2018 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES 503- 910 -3232 GATES OPEN 5:00 pm SHOW STARTS 6:30 pm Playing the hits of yesterday and today Friday, July 13 BEER, WINE & SPIRITS BY TITLE SPONSOR SPONSORS City of Keizer • Columbia Bank • Uptown Music • KSLM 104.3 FM Keizer Vision Source • Willamette Valley Bank • Rich Duncan Construction UPS Store • Salem Electric • Walsh & Associates • R Bauer Insurance Advantage Renovations LLC • Highway Fuel • Rasmussen Spray Service PRODUCE 5 Miles North of Keizer — 10325 River Rd NE LIKE US ON FACEBOOK Growing Fresh Local Fruits and Veggies for Five Generations HOURS: Mon – Fri: 9 to 7 • Sat – Sun: 9 to 5 Limit 2 fl ats or half fl ats per customer. 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