Meet Our Students

Angelina is a warm, enthusiastic girl from the Southwest of France who would be a wonderful addition to any host family. She’s positive, open‑minded, and genuinely loves connecting with people. As an only child, she’s both independent and very appreciative of family life. She’s respectful, responsible, and adapts easily to new routines. She loves animals, enjoys an active lifestyle, and is excited to share French cooking—tarts, gratin dauphinois, Basque talo, and more. Her experience in Model United Nations shows her curiosity about the world and her maturity. She dreams of becoming a lawyer and sees this exchange year as an essential step toward her future. Angelina can’t wait to experience American school life, join activities (cheerleading is her dream), and celebrate traditions like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hosting her means welcoming a joyful, motivated young woman who will truly become part of your family.

Josie is a bright and determined student from Taiwan who comes from a close-knit family and cherishes time spent traveling and celebrating traditions like Chinese New Year. She is passionate about soccer, having played since kindergarten and competing in tournaments both in Taiwan and abroad. She also enjoys playing the drums and trying new experiences. Curious, kind, and resilient, Josie is excited to experience American culture, improve her English, and become part of a host family’s daily life. She looks forward to joining school activities, especially soccer, and sharing her Taiwanese culture through food and traditions. Josie says, “I’m ready to try new things, challenge myself, and embrace this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

To learn more about me, please see my Dear Host Family Letter!

Jonas lives with his parents and brother and is focused on doing well in school. He enjoys math, participates in advanced seminars, and volunteers helping younger students. He also likes bouldering and ballroom dancing. Jonas is social, spending time with friends through sports, games, and academic events. He enjoys cultural outings and outdoor activities with his family. He is spontaneous, helpful, and excited to make new friends and experience life in a new environment while exploring future study options.

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”.

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.

Matea is a FLEX scholarship recipient from Serbia. She shares, “My future, I'd like for it to consist of some kind of design. Ideally, I'd go to college to learn about art and incorporate it in my career. Some form of animation or character design, in movies or games. It's my passion and I just want others to be inspired by my work.” Matea has a wide range of interests connected to the arts: she loves both digital and traditional art. Her passion for video game design was sparked by playing video games with her father when she was younger. She enjoys visiting museums and galleries alongside her mother. In addition to her artistic passions, she has played volleyball for eight years and has formed lasting friendships through tournaments. Matea also delights in attending festivals and concerts, as well as exchanging books with friends. Matea describes herself as open-minded. She contributes to her household with various jobs, while also helping her grandparents on their farm. Matea is very excited about her upcoming exchange program and being a part of your family.

Cooper is a thoughtful, respectful, and open-minded student from Thailand who is excited about the opportunity to live with a host family in the United States. Growing up in a Thai-international school environment has helped him become adaptable, communicative, and comfortable with people from many different backgrounds, and his previous experience living abroad with a host family in Brisbane, Australia, gave him even more confidence, independence, and ease in adjusting to new environments. His main goal as an exchange student is to improve his English, experience American school and family life, and continue growing through cultural exchange. Sports are a major part of his life, especially basketball, which is one of his greatest passions. He is a member of his school basketball team, was selected as a GBAC All Star, and has also trained in New York, where he was inspired by American basketball culture and coaching. In addition to basketball, he has experience in ice hockey, skiing, badminton, and golf, showing that he enjoys staying active and trying new things. Outside of sports, he enjoys music, is learning to play the guitar, likes watching movies, and occasionally plays video games. Easygoing and not a picky eater, Cooper would bring a positive attitude, a strong sense of responsibility, and genuine excitement to a host family while creating meaningful memories through the exchange experience.

Félicien is a motivated and sociable student who grew up in Belgium and now lives in France near the Swiss and German borders, giving him a strong appreciation for different cultures. A passionate basketball player for 14 years, he also referees games and coaches younger players, which has helped him develop leadership, patience, and responsibility. Félicien enjoys staying active, spending time with friends and family, and trying new experiences, including water skiing in the summer. Excited to experience American culture, he looks forward to becoming part of a host family while sharing his European background and love of sports.

One of the main reasons why I want to go on an exchange year, is because I hope to grow as a person by becoming more independent, open-minded, and confident! I also hope to meet new people and to make lifelong friends and endless memories. People describe me as a very active person. In my free time, I love playing sports, especially track and field. I participate the most in running events. Recently, my mother and I participated in a competition in Paris, where we ran 20km! Moving my body makes me feel focused and happy and I enjoy challenging myself to improve every time I train. I've always been fascinated by the American culture, traditions, and school life. I'm so excited to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to be in a new environment. I'm excited to be part of an American high school and to see what everyday life is like in a host family.