Two significant events were celebrated at a recent meeting of the Oswego Rotary Club held at Bishop’s Commons. One was the bidding of farewell and Godspeed to the latest outgoing Rotary exchange student in over a decade. The other was the recognition of one of Oswego’s outstanding Rotary members with the Paul Harris Fellow citation.

Nya Buckalew, former Sophomore at Oswego High School, attended a farewell Rotary luncheon with her mother Kellye before leaving to be a Rotary exchange student in Finland for a year. She will live with a family in Porvoo, southern Finland, about 30 miles from Helsinki. Porvoo is Finland’s second oldest town and considered by many to be its most beautiful. It boasts Porvoo Cathedral, many craft and antique shops, and a museum featuring the life and work of J.L. Runeberg, national poet of Finland.

Buckalew’s host family has memorable experiences planned for her stay. Besides mastering the Finnish language, she will learn the country’s popular winter sport of Nordic, i.e. cross-country skiing, and adjust to the bland naturally flavored Finnish food including bear meatballs and reindeer.
 
 
A winter trip to Lapland is planned where she will visit Santa Claus Village and stay in an igloo hotel. Buckalew will visit Stockholm, Sweden as well as Austria, Estonia, and several other European countries. Of course, she will also attend school to complete her Junior year of high school. Buckalew was given a supply of City of Oswego pins to hand out during her travels. She will fly from Syracuse to Chicago in early August and then on to Helsinki where her host family will meet her.
 
Carrie Penoyer, an Oswego Rotarian for the past ten years, was conferred for the second time with the Paul Harris Fellow citation in memory of Rotary’s founder and in recognition of her contribution of at least another $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation. The Foundation supports the efforts of Rotary International to foster world understanding and peace and an array of projects to provide food, potable water, health care, immunizations, shelter, and education. Since 1985, many millions of dollars have been contributed by Rotarians toward the goal of eradicating polio from the world.

Penoyer served as president of the Oswego club 2017-2018 and has been a director for most of her tenure. She contributed her time and talents to many club projects, especially as advisor to the Interact Club at Oswego High School and member of the Scholarship Committee. Her recognition cited especially her many involvements in diverse community events. She played leading roles in such undertakings as Top 25 Seniors’ pictures at Wayne Drugs, Top 100 Celebration, Kids Community Yard Sale, Children’s Advocacy Center 5K Run, and chicken barbeque fundraiser. She is an Equitable financial advisor specializing in financial planning.