Student guests appreciate Pelican Rapids diversity

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, July 19, 2008

Two college students from overseas now staying in Pelican Rapids, part of the Lions Youth Exchange Program, are pleasantly surprised at the cultural diversity in the town of 2,374 residents.

Heike ten Den, from the Netherlands, hails from a community of 35,000 residents. Han Kuo from Taiwan grew up in Taipei where 2.6 million people reside.

“It’s good to see people from many nations living here in Pelican Rapids,” said Kuo, 19, who will be a college sophomore majoring in French in Taiwan. She also speaks Chinese.

Both agreed that Pelican Rapids has an outstanding public library and multicultural learning center.

As for ten Den, 17, she just graduated from high school and will pursue history during college in the Netherlands.

They are among 25 students from different countries who are part of the Lions Youth Exchange Program spending time in Minnesota this summer. Their central gathering place is Minnesota State University, Mankato.

“JoAnn and I have hosted six exchange students off and on for several years,” Frazier said. “It’s wonderful not only to have Heike and Han stay here and visit people in Pelican Rapids, but to also see that they’re really enjoying themselves and learning a lot about life here in rural Minnesota.”

Both women echo Frazier’s comments.

“Everyone here in Pelican Rapids has been really friendly,” ten Den said. “I didn’t know much about Minnesota before I came here, and I’ve learned a lot.”

Kuo, about three years ago, took some college classes in Tennessee. This month it’s also her first visit to Minnesota.

Both women rode in this year’s turkey days and 125th anniversary parade as part of the Lions Club float, also passing out candy to kids. They also were part of the fashion show and previously appreciated taking part in the Fourth of July parade in Erhard.

They also visited Itasca State Park.

“These young women really kept me going on the bike trails at Itasca,” Frazier said. “We logged about 14 miles.”

Kuo’s father operates a patent and trade office in Taiwan. Her mother is an accountant. The father of ten Den is an ecologist in the Netherlands and her mother is a veterinarian.

Both look forward to sharing their Minnesota experiences with family and friends when they arrive back home. Kuo has two sisters and ten Den has one brother and one sister.

“The Lions Youth Exchange Program has been good for Heike, Han, the people in Pelican Rapids, and everyone else who they’ve met here in Minnesota,” Frazier said.