Bio: Laube, Jeff – Exchange Student to Columbia (1975)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Laube, Helena

---------Source: Owen Enterprise (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 09 Jul 1975

Jeff Laube, son of Harriett and Dick Laube, enplaned at the Eau Claire Airport on June 27th, 1875 on the first leg of his journey to South America. His routing took him to Chicago, Miami, and then on Medellin, Columbia, which will be his new home for the next six months.

He was met at the airport by his new family, which consists of Senor Bernardo and Senora Luz Helena and their children, three boys, Alexandro 16, Juan Bernardo 14, Diego 8, and a daughter, Amalia, who is 13.

Jeff's first letter describe the city of Medellin as "just beautiful, located on a plateau in a valley surrounded by mountains." It has a population of approximated 400,000 people, with its principal industry being the mining of gold and silver, and exporting coffee and fruit.

Alexandro the oldest boy, speaks English very well, bu the rest of the family doesn't, so Jeff has been working hard on his Spanish. He registered at the high school his first week there, and will begin pre-college classes this week. His family has taken his swimming and water skiing, and he has been playing tennis and racket ball at a club near their home.

Jeff graduated from Owen-Withee High School this Spring and is representing our school as a foreign exchange student through the International Fellowship program.