Swiss exchange student welcomed in Sisters

Ivo Gervasi. Photo by Tessa Durdan-Shaw

Foreign exchange student Ivo Gervasi notices one big difference between his home town of Butwill, Switzerland, and Sisters, Oregon.

Gervasi finds that he can more easily speak his mind here in Sisters without having to worry about what people think.

"Here it's more about the people you talk with, they don't get angry if I don't like what they are saying," he said.

Gervasi is a 16-year-old Rotary exchange student who arrived in Sisters in August of 2002.

Ivo will spend a total of 11 months here, splitting up his time between three different home stays. Gervasi first stayed with the Jeff and Heather Wester family but has since moved on to the Rod and Sandy Brink residence.

He will have one more home stay before he heads home in July.

Before coming to America, Gervasi was a very athletic student. He participated in team handball and lots of skiing, but Ivo's athleticism has not been altered by a change in area code.

From the start, he has taken full advantage of what Sisters has to offer. In the fall, Gervasi played football for the Sisters Outlaws, and in the spring he plans on participating on the track and field team.

Back home in Switzerland, Ivo graduated from high school with the ability to speak French, English, and his native German tongue.

He wanted to find a trade school in Switzerland, but when he was unable to, he opted for a year abroad before returning to his search.

When Ivo returns home this summer, he hopes to find a school that will cater to his interest in computer science.

Sisters is a town known for its magnificent mountains, but they are not without rivals.

Ivo knows a different set of mountains -- the Alps.

Gervasi notes the difference.

"In Switzerland, you can see mountains everywhere. It's greener also."