Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students from across Rotary District 5470 gathered in Pagosa Springs for a memorable year-end celebration filled with adventure, connection and cultural exchange.
Hosted by the Scott family and Pagosa’s own exchange student, Tommy Nigro, of Italy, the weekend included soaking in the hot springs, cookouts, a visit to the Wolf Creek Ski Area and a group photo at the Continental Divide sign atop Wolf Creek Pass.
A highlight of the weekend came Friday evening, when Nigro prepared authentic Italian pizzas from scratch for a potluck dinner with members of the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs. The evening was filled with stories, laughter and the warm fellowship that defines Rotary.
The students spent the weekend camping under the stars, playing football and sharing reflections on their exchange experiences in the United States. It was a fitting celebration of friendship and global understanding — cornerstones of the RYE program.
Students attending the celebration and their host Rotary Club included:
• Pagosa Springs: Tommy from Italy.
• Grand Junction: Felipe from Brazil and Jerry from Thailand.
• Aspen: Tarek from Chile.
• Carbondale: Vaclav from the Czech Republic.
• North Fork Valley: Eszter from Hungary.
• Delta: Bruno from Argentina.
• Montrose: Darinka from Slovakia.
• Salida: Honoka from Japan.
• Vail/Edwards: Luisa from Spain.
• Crested Butte: Shirin from Germany and Filip from Poland.
Other Rotary clubs hosting students this year, though not present at the weekend event, included Durango, Telluride and additional students in Carbondale. This year, 18 students participated in the RYE program across the district.
Lisa Scott, Pagosa Springs’ RYE coordinator, organized the weekend along with committee members Ronnie Doctor and Marianne DeVooght. Other RYE coordinators attending and participating in the weekend activities included John and Tami Stroud from Carbondale, Sally Corcoran from Vail/Edwards, and Kristi Redlinger from Grand Junction.
The RYE program officially celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, but its roots run deep. Rotary clubs have been facilitating international student exchanges since the 1920s, making it one of Rotary’s longest-running and most impactful programs. It became an official program of Rotary International in 1975 and continues to open hearts and minds around the world.
For more information or to become a host family, visit PagosaSpringsRotary.org or mountainandplainsrye.com.
