04/15/2026
District 6650 Exchange Students Visit New York City
Rotary District 6650 and Louisville Rotarians provided the opportunity to take seven inbound exchange students and one possible future outbound student to New York City. Veteran organizer Dave Yeagley and newcomer Shannon Benson accompanied students from eight countries and four continents on a whirlwind tour of NYC.
The students’ experience with the NYC subway system:
The good: Less walking… well, mostly, as long as we were headed in the right direction, because uptown and downtown really are different!
The bad: Be ready to give up any sense of personal space.
The gross: Always watch where you step in the New York City subway system!
For most of the group, the favorite activity was watching the sunset from the 91st floor of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. The views were breathtaking, but the multisensory experience had the students laughing and posing in equal measure. Our budding photographer, Maria, lit up as she immediately began capturing the immersive experience for the rest of the group.
The second most popular spot was, of course, Times Square. This may have had a little something to do with the students meeting Daniel Radcliffe, yes, Harry Potter himself, as he exited the stage door after his Broadway show Every Brilliant Thing. They were surprised by two things: how short he is and how kind he is. Akshara, whose excitement was next level and whose voice may have only been heard by dogs, said he took the time to talk with them, sign autographs, and pose for multiple selfies.
Julius also ranked Times Square at the top of his list. He was amazed by the bright lights and giant screens in every direction, but also surprised by how “small” the area felt. Television and movies had made it seem much bigger.
Each of the students had a great time, and many said they could see themselves living in the city. Mamo, clearly the fashion enthusiast of the group, reveled in exploring as many shops as he could. His family will be happy to know he kept his purchases to a minimum. Lena said she felt more like herself in the city than in the countryside because she loved the busyness and the ability to get to almost any activity imaginable with a short walk or subway ride.
Ben, our possible outbound student, found Little Italy to be the highlight of his experience, even if he was asked multiple times whether he wanted to buy a purse. Guided by Serena, Ben chose one of the best meals he has ever had at La Nonna, which came pretty close to authentic Italian food.
Even with all the excitement, the students were surprised by many of the realities of the big city. Serena said the most surprising part was how dirty it was and how much garbage was left behind. Paolo was definitely not impressed by the larger-than-average rodents on the subway lines, and no one enjoyed the odors.
As their exchange experience quickly draws to a close, each of the students has had time to reflect on the past year. Every one of them has grown so much from the tentative, quiet students who first arrived. Each has touched and changed the lives of new friends and host families, bringing a broader global perspective to so many.
Those of us in District 6650 have been honored to host each of the students in the 2025-26 class.
And no, Paola, we are not there yet… but almost.
