 | On Friday, July 5, the Troy friends of Dominic Nellen had a chance to say "good bye" to him before he left on July 9 to return to his home in the village of Habstetten, Switzerland. A Farewell Open House was held in his honor at the Hayner Cultural Center, 301 W. Main St., Troy.
Dominic is a seventeen-year-old foreign exchange student who came to the United States last August as a part of Youth For Understanding, a group that organizes exchange programs throughout the world. He lived with Troy resident David Lyons and attended Troy High School for the past year studying Algebra II, American Government, French, and American Literature. He also attended a computer class and sang with the Troy High School Choir. Because of a problem with his Troy credits transferring to his school in Switzerland, Dominic was unable to graduate with the Troy Class of 2002 and will need two more years of secondary school when he returns to his school in Switzerland. A year of Civil Service will follow, and then college. He is leaning toward a career in law or in some branch of political science, possibly becoming a diplomat or an ambassador.
Even with his busy Troy High School schedule, Dominic had some time to travel with Dave Lyons while he was in the USA. They visited Florida, New York City, Hawaii, and San Francisco. Dominic will see more of the world when he and one of his Troy High School friends, Jake Strachan, are camping for a few weeks at Interlaken and visiting the cities of Zurich, Bern, Geneva, and Lugano. School resumes for Dominic on August 12.
Although he was sad to leave his American friends, Dominic Nellen was glad to see his family again. His father is the CEO of a company in Switzerland and his mother is the mayor of their village and a representative in the Swiss government. Dominic also has a 15-year-old brother Daniel. After a year away from Habstetten, Dominic had much catching up to do with his family and much to share with them about his experiences in the United States.
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