Reflections from East Portland Rotary's first exchange student

In 1954-55, East Portland Rotary Club sponsored its first foreign exchange student, Lorenzo Matteoli from Milan, Italy.  Lorenzo graduated from Lincoln High School and went on to graduate from and teach architecture at Turin Engineering Poli, ascending to the position of Dean of the School of Architecture.  Elected as a Turin City Commissioner, he was responsible for the construction of the new Turin Stadium: Lo Stadio delle Alpi, the only public building in Italian history that was completed on time and within the contracted budget.  Today he lives, writes, and studies in Perth, Australia and Nova Scotia.

Despite a 15-hour time zone difference, Lorenzo, now 83-years old, wrote the following in response to the invitation to address East Portland Rotary, “I will be glad to attend via zoom: my only problem is that I might be slightly emotional and may have to control tears.  The 1954-55 experience has been a life changing one for me and I have never forgotten the East Portland Rotary for sponsoring me.  I really look forward to thanking EPRC as I never had the chance before."

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