Group Study Exchange from District 9830 Tasmania - Australia to District 5220 California USA     from left to right - D9830 California team - Michelle Castles, William Young, David Elphinstone (reserve) Chris Westlake (team leader) Glen Roland and Sarah Mansfield Cultural/recreational visits and activities requested for the team:                   Chris Westlake Team Leader: (Rotary Club of Youngtown) Chris Westlake is 57 years old, born in Launceston, northern Tasmania, and has been married to Pat for 38 years with 2 daughters and 5 grand daughters all living in northern Tasmania. Chris has worked in retail floor covering for the past 32 years and has now reduced his work to 4 and a half days per week with golf occupying the another half-day .Chris likes to ride his bicycle for approximately 40 miles on Saturday and Sunday, followed by coffee with friends at a local café.   Chris has been a member of the Rotary Club of Youngtown for 25 years, serving as Club President on two occasions. He has served at District level for five years: two years as Assistant Governor, one year as International Service Director and two years as Membership Chairman. Chris is also presently involved with the District ShelterBox Committee and is a member of the Organizing Committee for New Horizons Western Tiers Cycle Challenge.   Michelle Castles, (Rotary Club of Somerset) Michelle Castles is a 37 years old, and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Somerset. Michelle lives in Burnie on the North-West Coast of Tasmania.   After 17 years working as a Medical Scientist specialising in Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Michelle had a career change and now works for NGT Tasmania as an apprenticeship and trainee consultant. Her work involves liaising with employers to successfully recruit apprentices and trainees for their business. She works closely with both parties for the duration of their Australian Apprenticeship, to make sure everything runs smoothly. Michelle also spends time talking to high school children about the benefits of obtaining an Australian Apprenticeship or traineeship.   Michelle lived and worked in the United Kingdom for 9 years. During this time she also travelled extensively throughout Europe, South America and parts of the Middle East.   Michelle has been successful in representing Tasmania both as a player and coach in her chosen sport of field hockey. Her recreational interests include: photography, travel, participating in sport, socialising with family and friends, craft activist and spending time in the great outdoors.   Sarah Mansfield, (Rotary Club of Devonport)   Sarah Mansfield is 25 years old, and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Devonport North. Sarah is a Police Officer attached to Western Traffic Services at Burnie Police Headquarters on the North West Coast of Tasmania, working out of Ulverstone which is on the Coast, about 20 minutes east of Burnie.   As a traffic officer, her role is the detection and prevention of traffic offences along with attending traffic accidents and road closures for special events such as foot races and motor rallies. Sarah is also training as an Accident Investigator, whose role is to attend and investigate serious and fatal motor vehicle accidents.   Sarah has a secondary role as a Police Land Search and Rescue member, Adopt-A-Cop for East Devonport Primary School students, and a Police Association Member.   Sarah lives near the beach at Ulverstone with her partner, Bobby, who is also a police officer and their 2 cats and dog.   Sarah's recreational interests include playing hockey, in which she has represented Tasmania, and is currently play the highest level on the North West Coast as captain of her team the West Devonport Dragons. She enjoys the outdoors and most outdoor activities, but also enjoys spending time inside either watching movies or playing Computer Games. Her interests also include listening to music and playing the Piano, and spending time with friends. Glen Roland, (Rotary Club of Spring Bay)  Glen Roland is 30 years old, and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Spring Bay. He lives at Midway Point with his wife Jo-anne & their 3 children Nicholas 5, Jasmine 3 and Caitlin 1. Midway Point is a small town over looking the water near the Hobart airport in the south of Tasmania.   Glen works at Elphinstone Engineering situated at Triabunna, a coastal fishing village on the East Coast of Tasmania. Glen's training in Computer Aided Drafting & Design enables him to be involved with the development of new products for the company by using the latest technology available.   Glen has developed the skills needed to specialize in the design, manufacture and installation of Logging Trailers and On-Vehicle Weighing systems. Glen is responsible for the running of the production workshop, which includes the training of apprentices and tradespersons.   In his spare time Glen enjoys fishing, camping, travelling, going to the movies and spending time with his family. He is also a director in a small company that trades in the Australia Share Market.   William Young (Rotary Club of City Central Hobart) William Young is 29 years old, and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of City Central Hobart. William lives in a partially renovated 1930s house in Moonah, a suburb of Tasmania's capital city, Hobart. William completed an Honours Degree in Economics in 2000 and worked part-time as a self employed IT Consultant before joining St. Mary's College, a Catholic School in Hobart for girls from Kindergarten until Grade 12.   William is currently employed as Information Technology Manager at St. Mary's, and is responsible for purchasing, setting up and maintaining all components of the College's IT systems, as well as sharing responsibility for some administrative functions, for example, preparing the school timetable. William completed a Graduate Diploma of Computer Science in 2005.   William is the oldest of 10 children. He has been involved with children's charities for many years and is at present the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Management of local volunteer group, Edmund Rice Camps Tasmania.   His recreational interests include running, lifting weights, working on refurbishing his and his friend's houses, investing, attending live music events and playing chess and poker. | Home Page | | World Wide Rotary Links |