Posted by Sam Pittmon on Jun 08, 2017
 
Leo Witscurke our exchange student from Germany gave a talk  titled: My Exchange Year in Pagosa Springs 2016-2017. He initially introduced his three host families that included Anthony and Veronica Doctor and kids, Tim and Stacy Evans and kids and Mark and Jean Garcia and kids who were all in attendance. He then talked about his experience at an "american high school". He expected that he would have difficulty making friends but he found that the student's at Pagosa Springs High School were friendly and welcoming. He liked the teachers because the student-teacher relationship was closer than in Germany and there was not much pressure though he admitted that his grades did not matter here because he had to repeat this school year back in Germany. 
     He talked about sports that he participated in during the year that included soccer and basketball. He was made to feel welcome by his soccer team and they were very helpful. He stated that he had a hard time "adjusting to the elevation" and described how short of breath he was when running initially. He enjoyed playing soccer and was proud of the many goals that he was able to score. He played basketball for the first time of his life and had difficulty learning the rules the first three games but finally got the hang of it and enjoyed playing. He even learned to dunk the ball.
     Leo experienced many trips with his host families. The Doctor's took him to Lizard Head Pass and Moab, Utah where he had fun hiking and bicycling. He traveled to Phoenix, AZ with the Evans family where he attended his first hockey game and had great seats just behind the glass. He also enjoyed shopping and exploring the Phoenix area. With the Garcia family he travelled to The Grand Canyon where he was so amazed by the view that he took at least 100 pictures. They then traveled to San Diago, CA where he attended his first professional baseball game. He got to go to the beach where he swam in cold cold water for only 5 minutes and also experienced a roller coaster ride. 
     Leo talked about the many friends he made when he met with other Rotary exchange students in Colorado. They visited several places including the Great Sand Dunes and the alligator farm near Alamosa where he was excited and frightened to hold an alligator. Says he got to make friends with students from nearly "every continent". His best friends were Nithin from India, Bernardo from Spain and Fabio from Brazil. 
     In closing, Leo thanked our Rotary club and his host families for "the best year of my life" and Lisa Scott for her consistent support. He stated that he plans to return to Pagosa Springs with his family and will attend our Rotary meeting on August 17, 2017.  When asked about his expectation when he came to America, he stated" I did not expect Americans to be so nice". When asked about American food he stated " I am not really picky I just eat a lot. His favorite American food is Mexican food.
     After leaving Pagosa Springs next week, Leo will be traveling with other Rotary exchange student across the United States from Denver to the Grand Canyon, to Las Vegas, to Los Angeles, to San Diego, to Tucson, to El Paso, to San Antonio, to Houston, to New Orleans, to Tallahassee, to Orlando, to Myrtle Beach, to Washington D.C., to New York City, to Cleveland and to Chicago where he will depart back home to Germany.
     Lisa Scott and Leo's host families describe him as nice, well adjusted, easy going, has notable integrity, is happy and always smiling and I think we all would agree.