FIUTS Annual Campaign 2019: Creating Networks of Peace
Dick Koontz and Jill Paaso recently retired in Romania after hosting international students through FIUTS for twenty years. Reminiscing on decades of cross-cultural connections, Koontz and Paaso recalled graduations, holiday parties, and even hosting former student’s children years after their parents first came to stay in their Meadowbrook home. Since leaving Seattle in 2017, Koontz and Paaso have traveled the world, visiting more than 20 of their former students around China, Turkey, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Malaysia, France, Iceland, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand. “This was and continues to be one of the most enriching and rewarding activities we have ever been involved in,” the two shared, “they filled our home with fun and laughter.” Each year, thousands of students and community members learn more about the world with FIUTS. These experiences have a ripple effect –reaching well beyond UW and our community and leading to lifelong connections.