Decorah Rotary's International Exchange Student Juan Guillermo Vinasco upon arrival, flanked by his host family Michele and Benny Volkman
The Decorah Rotary Club’s International Youth Exchange Student for the ’26-’27 academic year is Juan Guillermo Vinasco, a junior from Liceo Freire High School in Pitalito, Columbia. He arrived in the U.S. this past Wednesday, September 16th. Juan’s host family are Decorah Rotarian Michelle and Benny Volkman.
Juan hails from his hometown of Pitalito, located in the valley of Laboyos in Columbia. The area is known for its agriculture (especially coffee) and its culture. He lives with his parents Nidia and Williams and his younger sister Valentina in a residential complex offering a soccer field, swimming pool, and entertainment areas and is located a short 15 minutes from his high school.
Juan’s personal interests include music, soccer, table tennis, cooking, reading, and watching movies. He has been practicing drums for the past five years. As a Rotary exchange student, he looks forward to experiencing and learning from a new culture, making new friends, and helping to build international connections.
Our club sends a warm welcome to Juan and reiterates its thanks to Michelle and Benny for their role in supporting Juan’s life experience. Our members are excited to meet and learn from Juan and are committed to supporting him during his stay!
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