Meet Our Students

She’s a dynamic 16-year-old (17 when she arrives) from Italy with a passion for athletics, art, and cultural discovery. A competitive hammer and discus thrower for over a decade, she’s also a dedicated art student who loves painting, drawing, and exploring new techniques. Her hobbies include cooking, caring for animals, watching films and TV series, and learning about music and languages from around the world. She dreams of studying in an American high school to challenge herself, grow independently, and connect deeply with a new culture. Host her—and help her turn curiosity into connection, and talent into transformation.

Meet Naila from France!! Naila wants the life adventure of learning American culture and being independent in a new place to discover new people and traditions. Naila is a lover of family time, cooking with family, playing board games and spending quality time is important to her. She loves watching football with her brother and although she isn’t a passionate hiker like her mom, she will go and do it just to spend time with her mom. This shows that Naila is open to trying things for that good old-fashioned family time. Naila is an animal lover as she has 3 cats, she is not a fan of spiders and insects, but she respects them. Naila loves break dancing and ice skating. She has a desire to dance and learn more about dancing. Friends are important to her, and she is excited to make new friends in a new place. French music is a daily listen for Naila, and she is wanting to learn more about American music genres too. Besides her love for winter sports, she is very into fashion. Naila has a strong goal to be a surgeon in her adult life or a radiologist. Combined with her love of biology she wants to help people in need. Let’s open our home to Naila!!!

Meet the wonderful Imke!! She is from a smaller town in the Netherlands and is looking forward to this fantastic adventure. Imke is social and talkative, she loves trying most new things like food and sports. She is from a large family of 5, so she is used to siblings and a larger family dynamic. Imke is open to traveling and learning about many different cultures. Imke is athletic in numerous sports like Tennis and Korfball. She plays at the club level and even volunteers to help teach the younger girls at the club she plays at. She enjoys the competition sports offer and the social aspect of making friends through sports. Imke is very family oriented and loves the idea of becoming a part of her host family. Playing boardgames, helping cook or just handing out and communication through humor is important to her. She is looking forward to visiting stores in America like Target, Sephora and Walmart are just a few on her list to be able to walk through and experience the store chains we have here in America. In addition, experiencing sporting events at an American High School is very exciting for her. Imke has a lot of team spirit and wants to embrace it all!! Let’s help give Imke the perfect host family that love sports, that is outgoing and believes family is important too.

Meet Arthur! His desire to continue learning English and the American culture is very important to him. Arthur is a true thinker of the world. He seeks the experience of culture and being apart of the American Schools is exciting to him. He wants to immerse himself in American traditions and all our Holidays. If you celebrate holidays, he is a perfect fit for your family traditions. Arthur, being very open-minded, will embrace all of his time in America. Arthur is athletic and enjoys sport competitions. He has been swimming for a long time. He loves bike riding and hiking or just walking around to see different environments from fields to forest. He feels very connected with the mountains and the beauty of the mountains. His adventurous side takes him to the wild rides of roller coasters, he loves them! He has a great bond with his family and can talk to his mom about anything and enjoys watching and learning sports with his dad. Let’s make Arthur’s wish come true to come to America!

Meet Julia (16) she brings a unique perspective to the program as a German student from a Polish background.  In school she speaks German, at home she speaks Polish.  She is proud of her Polish heritage, and her family celebrates many Polish traditions.  She would love to cook traditional Polish foods with her future host family including pierogies and chicken soup. Julia describes a very close-knit family life in which she enjoys shopping with her mom and helping with the housework. She is also very close with her dad and her older brother as well, even though he is now an adult living on his own. She is also a proud dog sister who loves and cares for her furry family member, Daisy.   Her goals for herself in this program revolve around becoming part of her host family, joining their life and being part of their everyday activities. She also talks about wanting to use this experience to grow as a person, “I believe this experience will help me grow as a person, understand myself better and become more independent and braver.” She loves experiencing other cultures and would one day like to work in tourism or for an international company.  Julia’s hobbies include swimming, she loves the water, going to the gym, cooking, watching movies and spending time with friends in nature.

Meet Tihalina,16, from France, writes “I want to discover the world not through books or screens, but through smiles, meetings, and everyday gestures.”  She and her family have adopted goats who they refer to as the “Queens of the garden”.  Besides loving her four-legged family members, she enjoys a close-knit home life with her two brothers and dad. She describes herself as independent and enthusiastic.  She has a wide range of interests including music, reading, photography and scouting which she enjoys due the respect for nature and teamwork that it fosters.  She is also very involved in sports and physical activity such as tennis, basketball, ping pong, track, dance, and roller skating.  She is also very dedicated to the philosophy of cultural exchange. She is extremely focused on bringing unique cultural experiences to the table-literally- she loves to cook crepes, kouign-amman and her family’s special recipe from the Southwest of France,  canelés Bordelais.  Tihalina also wants to learn about and take part in such American traditions as Thanksgiving.  Please consider opening your home to a student who is full of appreciation of other cultures and wishes to learn all she can as well as share the uniqueness of her own with you. 

Rafa (16) is from Spain, where he lives with his parents, and younger sister. He describes himself as a cheerful, fun-loving, and sociable individual who is also respectful. With a naturally curious and slightly dreamy disposition, Rafa thrives on connecting with others, exploring new experiences, and infusing each day with positive energy. He loves animals but the only pet he has is his pet turtle, Poli. Rafa is filled with excitement at the thought of living with his American family and attending an American school. Swimming is one of his greatest passions; it brings him a sense of freedom, focus, and vitality. He hopes to join the school swimming team, as he enjoys the thrill of competition. Dance also plays a significant role in Rafa's life. He has been dancing and competing for many years. Additionally, Rafa enjoys traveling and has visited five countries in Europe. He delights in discovering different cultures, traditions, and lifestyles. “I understand that hosting an exchange student is a significant decision, and I genuinely appreciate your generosity and the opportunity you are providing.”

Alberto is a 16-year-old student from a small town in northwest Italy who attends a scientific high school with a sports focus. His program combines academics with sports-related studies, including economics and law of sports, and five hours of physical activity each week. He enjoys his classes, has a good relationship with his classmates, and likes spending time with friends after school. Alberto hopes to study in the United States because he is curious about new cultures, experiences, and sports. He sees this opportunity as a way to grow personally, improve his English, and become more independent. Having already completed a one-month exchange in France, he feels prepared to live away from home and embrace new challenges. Family is very important to Alberto. He lives with his parents, two brothers, and his dog, Frisky, an 8-year-old golden retriever. He loves animals and enjoys walking his dog, visiting his grandparents, traveling, hiking, and cooking with his family. Sports play a major role in Alberto’s life. He learned to ski at age three and enjoys skiing with his family and friends. He has played soccer and basketball and continues to go to the gym regularly. While in the U.S., he hopes to play basketball or soccer again or try new sports. Alberto is excited to learn about American culture, share his daily life with a host family, and build meaningful relationships during his exchange year.

Sofia is a 16-year-old student from Italy currently in her third year at a Humanities high school. She enjoys Italian literature and history and hopes to become an elementary school teacher in the future. She loves working with children and has spent the past three summers as a church summer camp leader for kids ages 6–10. Sofia is a curious, friendly, and open-minded student who loves discovering new places and experiences. Her greatest passion is dance—she has been dancing since age five, with experience in classical, modern, and hip-hop dance. Dance helps her feel confident and expressive, and she is interested in participating in dance or even cheerleading at her American school. In her free time, Sofia enjoys listening to music (especially rap, trap, and pop), attending concerts and theater performances, and spending time with friends. She also enjoys fashion, shopping, going to the movies, and spending time at the beach during the summer. Sofia is excited to learn about American culture and daily life while sharing Italian traditions with her host family. Her main goal for the exchange is to improve her English. She is clean, organized, responsible, and happy to help with household chores. Sofia also loves food—especially pasta and pizza—and enjoys cooking with her family and trying new foods. She is very excited to come to the United States and become part of her American host family.

Anna lives in Italy with her older brother and younger sister. She did gymnastics for years, but due to the stress on her body, she now helps coach young girls in gym and began snowboarding with her dad and siblings. She also loves to run. She is interested in trying out new sports in America, perhaps cheerleading, but also likes music and the arts. Anna likes the outdoors, but likes to spend time inside also, usually in the kitchen. Baking and making traditional Italian dishes are her passion. She loves to cook and bake and would love to help her new family learn new recipes also. She has responsibilities in her home in Italy and expects to have similar ones in her new home. Anna is excited to be part of a family and learn more about the American culture. She is excited about riding a school bus, decorating her locker and experiencing high school in America.