Meet Our Students

Meet Lori, from central Japan. She is so excited to visit the United States as this will be her very first time abroad! She loves playing soft tennis, making sweets, cooking Japanese food like shogayaki (ginger pork), talking about music with friends, and going for relaxing walks. During her stay, she can’t wait to experience everyday American life and share Japanese culture (and treats!) with her host family. One day, she hopes to become a Japanese teacher. She is truly looking forward to meeting you!

Friedrich lives with his parents and three siblings as he describes his family as close, supportive and spending a lot of time together.  At school, Friedrich describes himself as a serious student, his favorite subjects include Art, English and German.  He has also participated in several school plays.  For hobbies he enjoys playing handball, photography and gardening. His friends describe him as calm, trustworthy and easy to get along with. Additionally, he describes himself as tidy and organized.  He is excited about attending High School in America, his mother was an exchange student in the 11th grade and had a lot of fun.  He looks forward to experiencing different teaching methods, school spirit and pep rallies, and he would love to try baseball.

Meet Marly from Germany! She is always ready and prepared for her next adventure in life. Marly loves to find humor in situations and honesty is important to her. She is athletic and currently rides horses. She has been riding since she was very young. She used to own a horse and knows how to take care of them. When she is not riding horses, she plays tennis or at the gym working out. Marly just like her mom, loves kids. She babysits in her free time, hangs out with friends, and she loves going to her local soccer games. Marly has a family of 3 besides herself. Her mom, dad and older sister love to travel to other countries and learn new cultures. Both her mother and sister were exchange students in the USA. She has heard such good stories and even has met the host families of both her mom and her sister. Let’s help Marly continue the family tradition and follow her dreams.

Maeva is an academically strong student who loves ballet and her close-knit family.  She lives in France and has older and younger siblings who she adores.  Her town is known for football, so it is an important part of her community.  She enjoys fashion, dance, and being with her animals. Maeva always rises to challenges and is excited to spend a year in the U.S. to experience American culture and traditions like Thanksgiving and Halloween while improving her English skills. 

Meet Candela “Cande” from Spain! She describes herself as a as a caring, responsible, organized, funny and well-educated teenager. She comes from a close knit immediate and extended family. Her hobbies include padel (a sport similar to pickle ball) volleyball, skiing, dancing, reading, playing boardgames and watching movies. Cande recently started attending an international school where she is surrounded by classmates from all different cultures. She stated that she “fell in love with” the US when she visited with her family in order to pick her sister up from camp. She looks forward to learning about our culture, our educational system and participating in new activities through her school and host family. Cande writes, “I think I can bring a positive and caring attitude to your family….I would be very grateful to share my culture and traditions as well as learn from yours.”

Meet Adelaide from France where she lives with her father, mother, and younger brother, and their family bond is very strong, playing a “huge part” in her life. She describes herself as joyful, funny, and smart, though she can be a bit reserved when tired, responsible and somewhat competitive, Adelaide has a wide range of interests including: Tennis, Running, Dancing, Music, Singing, Pilates and going to the gym. Currently, she attends a boarding school with approximately 700 students. During her stay in the United States, she hopes to join a choir and the dance team. In her free time, she enjoys reading detective novels and watching detective and medical series. She has explored India and aspires to find a future career that allows her to uncover new places and have unique experiences. “So, to start these dreams, I want to start with the United States, because it’s iconic and full of diversity”.

Meet Fanny from France!  Fanny is extremely enthusiastic about the opportunity to spend an exchange year in the U.S. It is one of her “biggest dreams” and she has been focused on making it happen since she was young. Spending an exchange year in the U.S. is what has motivated her to study English. Fanny explains that she is extremely grateful for her friends and family and values those relationships highly. Her friends describe her as someone who is very kind, thoughtful, funny, emotional and reliable.  One of her other dreams- going to an American football game and rooting for her team!    She also loves all animals especially her cats Bambou and Ficelle with whom she shares a deep connection.  Fanny loves to do crafts and dance (she is currently on a dance team). She also enjoys the self-discipline she gets from pushing herself at the gym and often clears her head by going for a run. She also enjoys all genres of music.  Baking is also one of Fanny’s hobbies, her specialty is cinnamon rolls because she loves the smell. Fanny is overflowing with energy and excitement; she is more than ready to make the most of her exchange year here in the US. 

Alberto is a 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.

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.

Alexis is from France, where he resides with his parents and younger sister; his older sister is currently studying at college in England. “Being the only guy surrounded by two girls isn't always easy! So, if you have boys around my age in your family, that would be awesome and a lot of fun for me”. Basketball is his passion, and he has been playing for six years, hoping to join the high school team in the U.S. Additionally, Alexis enjoys mountain biking, soccer (position goalie) and water and snow skiing. He often plays chess with his father and has a fondness for other board games too. He is eagerly looking forward to experiencing Halloween and Thanksgiving.