LONE TREE

With just two days left in Italy’s 2023 school year, Pietro Setti was finally informed where he would study abroad: Lone Tree, Iowa, nearly 5,000 miles away from home.

Despite the short notice, the distance and the fact Setti had no say where he would go, he was nothing but excited.

“I know that traveling is very fun, discovering new places and new cultures,” Setti said. “The US is not [very] different than a European country, visually. But still, we have a lot of differences.”

At the same time, Lone Tree residents Josh Spilman and Elsie Spilman contemplated if they would house another foreign exchange student while their son, Greyson, completed his sophomore year. When the Spilmans’ daughter, Darrian, was a senior in 2014, they housed their first foreign exchange student; this would be their second.

After deciding they would, the stars aligned, bringing Setti to Lone Tree for the 2023-24 school year.

“It actually just kind of worked out that he was kind of floating around, and we said we’d take him,” Spilman said.

With goals of bettering his English, traveling, learning and having fun along the way, Setti feels he’s met these goals in spades, thoroughly enjoying his time at the school and in Lone Tree as a whole.

“The school is probably the best part for me about the US, it’s very, very fun,” Setti said. “I think I’ve improved even if I’m not 100% happy with my English at this point. I feel like I still can have a conversation usually, so I’m happy for that.”

It did not take long for the Italian to settle in.

Setti is from a small town outside of Modena, a city in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region best known for balsamic vinegar, its opera heritage, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Although Modena is a larger city, Setti’s town is smaller than Lone Tree.

“I knew I was going to be in a small town, they told me it was like 1,300 people. I live in a town with a [similar population], but much smaller,” Setti said. “So, when I came here, I thought, ‘Well, it’s pretty big for being 1,300 people.’”

Being a Lone Tree student has opened many doors for Setti, who is considered a senior within the school’s hallways.

He was on homecoming court, he went to prom, he played on the basketball team, ran for track & field – qualifying for state alongside Ethan Bockelman, Domonic Garcia and Emmett Burke in the 4x100 relays – participated in FFA, worked food concessions and walked the stage.

Basketball was something Setti played sparingly, only joining the team because he could. The same thing applies to track; it’s something he’s tried in the past but was not an active participant back home.

These activities are things Setti would not be able to experience in a school setting back home because Italian schools tend to put more focus on actual studies.

“We don’t have extracurriculars; we don’t have many activities, you just go there, study and do your homework,” Setti said. “For example, if you want to practice a sport, you have to find a team or club outside [of school].”

Once Setti does return home – he’ll be leaving Lone Tree on Wednesday, June 5 – he’ll still be considered a senior, needing to complete one more year of schooling before he officially graduates.

So, schooling might’ve been a drastic shift, one Setti welcomed, but not every change has been so drastic.

One which Setti welcomed with open arms was his new Iowan brother, Greyson, who is 15, the same age as one of Setti’s siblings. According to Spilman, the two immediately bonded.

“When I first knew I was going to have a 15 year old brother, I was really happy and I’m still very happy because, of course, it’d be a lot meeting the first friends I got here,” Setti said. “I think for me, it was very, very helpful.”

The Spilmans have been great to Setti. Conversely, Setti’s Lone Tree stay has been nothing but positive for the Spilmans as well.

“We’ve learned that he’s a great kid. We’re happy to have him here,” Spilman said. “It’s been a good experience [and] it’s funny, we’ve had such good luck with the two foreign exchange students that we’ve had [that] my mother in law wonders ‘how.’”

One of the first – and most interesting – interactions between Setti and Spilman involves Spilman’s role as Lone Tree Mayor.

Setti did not know Spilman served as mayor.

He later found out after his father back home read some Lone Tree news, sharing with Setti, who promptly asked Spilman afterwards. Setti found this moment funny.

After not being home for nearly one year, Setti misses Italian cuisine more than anything, besides family, when he thinks about home –although he did state he has thoroughly enjoyed the daily homecooked meals and barbeques at the Spilman residence.

Setti hopes to return to Lone Tree eventually – Spilman hopes he can return for Greyson’s graduation, set for 2026 – but for now, Setti is completely focused on finishing his studies so that he can graduate with his classmates back home.

After the initial warmth of home wares off, Setti said that he will miss his Iowan family and the friends he’s gained along the way the most, while also missing the school atmosphere and his ability to participate in many activities.

It’s safe to say Setti has enjoyed his Lone Tree getaway.

“I can just say, it was amazing. I didn’t come here with much expectation because I didn’t know where I would be,” Setti said. “I just found an amazing family [that] I really felt part of. I really felt like I was at home since the first moment I came here. And then I met a lot of good people, good friends. I really can’t complain.”