As President of Rotary, Paul Tibbs saw many kids come to Sedona through Rotary’s foreign exchange student program. 
This year, Paul, his wife Tracey and daughter Mackenzie “Kenzie” took the experience to another level. Since August, the Tibbs family has hosted Louise Desquenses, a Belgian exchange student.

“As we were learning more about it, we decided that it would be a good thing for our family,” Tracey said. “We have two boys in college [Branson and Bennett]. Mackenzie wanted another kid at home so it worked out perfect. She wanted a sister and she got a sister.”

“It’s been so amazing,” Kenzie added. “I have two brothers, they’re both in college. When they went to college, I was really sad. Once I got Louise, everything just changed for me and I had a girl figure in the house. We do a lot of girly things now.”

One of the things that Kenzie and Desquenses will do together is go to Belgium in the summer after they both graduate. In the more immediate future, both are finishing out the swimming season for the Sedona Red Rock High School team.

While both are seniors at SRRHS, they don’t have a lot of experience with competitive swimming. Kenzie played volleyball in the past. But after three knee surgeries, that was no longer an option. Desquenses swam some in Belgium but never more than a few times a week, well short of what the commitment is for the Scorpions.

“I think joining the swim team, both of them, is a good thing also,” Tracey said. “They met friends and it’s kind of assimilated her into the community very easily. It’s been great. We couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The two have been valuable additions to the SRRHS swim team, as well. The girls team is frequently shorthanded. With two additional swimmers, coach Dan Morse has more flexibility with what he can do at meets. Morse has also enjoyed the spirit that both girls have brought the team.

“They bring good energy because they’re so new,” Morse said. “They’re so excited about everything, the two of them. What Louise brings is she’s new to the country, so everything is new to her. She’s new to the sport, so everything is new in that capacity, as well … They’re really nice people. They’re really good teammates. They’re really quick learners and they work really hard. That’s all that you can ask for.”

Outside of swimming, Desquenses has taken part in a number of other activities in the United States. She went with the Tibbs family on a college trip to Utah. While there, Desquenses got a taste of American football, seeing the Utes from the University of Utah take on and defeat Washington State. In November, Desquenses will see another American state when she goes to Texas with the Tibbses for Thanksgiving.

Desquenses is also heavily involved in Interact Club, an International Services Club sponsored by Rotary. One of her main projects there is trying to find a way to make her current surroundings more environmentally friendly.

“In Belgium, they’re a lot greener, more environmentally conscious,” Paul said. “She was saying that in Belgium nobody has plastic water bottles. You have a hard water bottle, you fill it up. She wants to try to find ways for the Interact Club this year to make their project finding different ways to make the school greener … I thought that was a pretty ambitious goal to help our world.”

 
Desquenses has had to make adjustments to American life. One was with food, which is much spicier than it is in Belgium. On the positive end, she noted that people are much friendlier with their interactions, hugging her instead of simply saying “hi.” One of the things that she likes about the United States is how a short car ride can take you to completely different surroundings. 

“The landscape is so beautiful,” she said. “You can be in a car for a couple hours and be in another culture, another landscape. In Belgium, it’s so small.” 

Desquenses is early in her American experience. Despite that, it’s already made a profound impact on her life. 

“It’s the best year of my life. You become more independent. You meet a lot of new people. You learn another language. When you come back you are like another person. But it’s the best thing that I’ve ever done,” Desquenses said. “If you have the chance to live this experience, do it. It’s a really good experience. The people are very friendly with me.” 

That opinion was shared by Tracey. 

“There are different people who care about her here — not just us,” she said. “I would send my child on a Rotary sponsored exchange program without question.”