Danish exchange student Simon Rosendahl-Post embraces Niwot life

Sitting at his host family's kitchen table in Niwot, clad in a Broncos T-shirt and baseball cap, Rotary Youth Exchange student Simon Rosendahl-Post does not seem far from home. A Niwot High School student, junior varsity soccer player, and baseball enthusiast, his transition from Denmark to Colorado looks natural.

Rosendahl-Post, 16, spent the 2024–25 school year at Niwot through the Rotary Youth Exchange program. "I'm from a small town," he said with a smile. "It's R-Y in Denmark, but I think it's R-Y-E in English. It has only 8,000 people."

His decision to come to the 4,000-strong Niwot, Colorado, community stemmed from a neighbor's encouragement. "They had done a Rotary exchange years ago and said I should try it too," Rosendahl-Post said. He arrived in Colorado on Aug. 5, 2024, and has lived with two families, the Bauers and the Hercherts.

With the Bauers, Rosendahl-Post journeyed as far as Los Angeles and Las Vegas with Dave, Emily, and their two daughters, Lillian and Sky. Sky Bauer, the eldest daughter of the family and a junior at Niwot, is also a Rotary Youth Exchange student and is now in Germany. "Both families have been amazing." Rosendahl–Post said. "The Bauers were welcoming, and they introduced me to the Hercherts. I wasn't expecting to meet fellow Danes."

After sharing Danish food with Anne and Rob Herchert and meeting their family, Rosendahl-Post found his second Colorado home, including three more host siblings. "There's Kaiya, then there's Riley and Cooper, who are a bit older than me. They're the same age as my brother back home, so I've felt connected in this family. With the Bauers, too, staying here or there, I feel at home."

At Niwot High, Rosendahl-Post quickly put down his roots, taking classes in computer science, joining the junior varsity soccer team, and playing baseball in the spring. "Baseball is crazy fun," he explained excitedly. "I came over and I didn't know any of the rules, but I got into it and it's a blast. I'm taking that home with me." Assistant NHS baseball coach Biff Warren said, "Simon came so far this season, from never having played the game, to a solid contributor at the plate and in the field for the JV team. He was a great teammate to the other players who embraced him."

While sports have been an outlet for making friends, Rosendahl–Post's biggest culture shock in Colorado has been going to school with different people in each class. Denmark's secondary education system puts classmates in cohesive cohorts, all within the same classroom with the same classmates day-to-day. With a block schedule rush of passing period, Rosendahl–Post often felt out of his depth. "It's all new faces, a new teacher, every class," he said. "Back home, I got to know people much better. Here, I had teachers I would just call Mr. or Mrs. for the first few months because I struggled with names."

Beyond the growing pains of the first few months of school, however, Rosendahl-Post has found key positives to living in the US. "I love American fast food," he laughed. "Fast food is not big in Denmark, and now I just eat Chipotle."

His favorite memory was attending a Colorado Rapids match where Danish player Andreas Maxsø gave him his shirt. "I held up a sign," he said proudly. "He gave me his shirt."

Rosendahl-Post is grateful for the opportunity the Rotary Club gave him. "I know this experience changed my life," he said. "I can't even say how yet, it's going to hit me in waves. I know every time I apply for jobs, look at schools, I'll be mentioning this."

Leaving for home in June, Rosendahl-Post reflected on the year he has spent in Niwot. "I miss my friends and family," he said. "But now I know I want to travel forever, and see the entire world. It's been a beautiful experience."