Exchange Student Homecoming Reflects on ‘Best Year of My Life’
RENOVO – “That was the best year of my life”…words by Bucktail’s foreign exchange student, Marco Nazareth of Brazil.
Marco, at age 17 left Renovo in 1976 after spending his junior year of high school at Bucktail Area High School.
Marco and his family left Brazil at 10:15 p.m. December 2 and got to New York at 5 a.m. on December 3. They rented a car and headed to Renovo where he went to the first place he knew and loved, Bucktail Area High School.
Marco was welcomed by some of his former classmates who were very happy to see him once again. Classmate Mary George Rhone said “Welcome Home! We have always loved you and are proud that you are a part of the Class of ’76.” she went on to say. “Apparently we have never been forgotten nor have you, my friend.”
Marco and his wife met with his former classmates for a small reunion at Sportsman’s hotel. When talking of his return back home from Renovo all those years ago, he said the thing that stuck out in his mind was that all classrooms at Bucktail had an American Flag. In Brazil they did not, at least not until he started a movement when he got back to his country and requested that Brazilian flags were flown. He said 48 of them were placed.
Marco is a dentist and has two sons that are dentists. He also had taken law courses at night but does not practice law. His love of employment is dentistry. He says in Brazil, you work morning, noon and night.
After a nice visit with his classmates, one of his final words to them in parting was “This has been another best day in my life … you all make me feel so important”.
Mary George said “To us, the Class of ’76 he was important … he was one of ours!” She also said that with the help of google translation she was able to communicate with Marco’s wife, Marcia. And at the end of their visit, she told Mary George she loved her.
Marco said “Renovo had changed his life forever. It was the best year of his life.”
