Meet Our Students

Meet Maxence from Belgium! Maxence is a friendly and easygoing student who loves to laugh, meet new people, and discover new things. One of his biggest passions is baking — especially chocolate chip cookies! He enjoys experimenting with his recipes to make them fun and unique, sometimes adding marshmallows or peanut butter for an extra twist. While in the U.S., Maxence can’t wait to bake some traditional Belgian desserts for his host family, like speculoos, lokken, or Belgian waffles. An avid skier, Maxence and his family usually take one mountain trip every year to enjoy a couple days on the slopes. When he’s not skiing or baking, Maxence is focused on school, where he is a straight-A student. His favorite subjects are English and geography. Lately, he has also discovered a passion for marine biology and loves learning about the ocean and all the marine life. Until age 16, Maxence was an active member of the Boy Scouts, where he learned teamwork, leadership, and a love for the outdoors. He only stopped because in Belgium you age out of Boy Scouts at 16. Maxence is very excited to experience American culture firsthand. He’s looking forward to celebrating Halloween with decorations, costumes, and pumpkin carving; enjoying a big Thanksgiving dinner; decorating a Christmas tree with his host family; and even going to Prom—even though he admits he’s not the best dancer! His dream is to live these moments in real life, not just see them in the movies. With his warm personality, curiosity, and enthusiasm for new experiences, Maxence is sure to bring joy and laughter to his host family and make lifelong memories during his time in the U.S.

Arianna, 16, from Italy lives with her family, which includes her mom, dad, brother, and their beloved dog, Lola, an Australian Shepherd, she loves animals. Her little brother is her favorite person. She describes herself as a funny girl, who loves talking, making new friendships and new experiences. Arianna has a deep passion for cooking, particularly when it comes to baking cookies. Her other interests include theatre, bicycling, listening to pop music, traveling and exploring new places and watching movies (her favorite genre is horror). Ari loves children and has worked as an entertainer at a summer camp for the past two years. She has also tried various sports, including dance, swimming, basketball, tennis, and gymnastics, with tennis being her favorite, she played for six years. After high school, Arianna dreams of becoming an au pair in the United States. She chose to participate in an exchange program to share Italian culture with her American family and community by cooking traditional dishes. Additionally, she aims to become more independent and improve her English skills. Although she is uncertain about her future, Arianna knows she loves working with children and envisions a career as a teacher. That's all from Italy for now, looking forward to meeting you!

Meet Ludovica, everyone calls her Ludo! She is 16 and lives in a popular tourist town in Italy. Ludo has one older sister who was also an exchange student. So, she had the great stories and memories from her sister and wants to create her own adventure and memories with an amazing host family here in the USA. Ludo is an athlete and has been playing volleyball since she was six years old. Her passion for the sport allows her to challenge herself and strive to do better. Ludo ski's each winter in Italy, has played tennis and done gymnastic in the past. It is clear that Ludo has such a creative imagination, especially with her drawings and her paintings. She has found that drawing clears her mind and opens up imaginary thinking. Ludo is a family orientated person, whether it be playing board games with everyone, completing puzzles, or winding down to watch with family a good old fashion horror movie. Ludo loves participating in volunteer opportunities. She understands kids and loves being able to create fun activities for them. Ludo has a soft heart for animals, she loves cats, dogs and even helps take care of horses. Becoming a doctor to save lives is her lifelong goal. She has a plan and wants to excel at it to be successful in the future. Ludo loves just being a funny and excited teenage girl. It is important to Ludo that she gets to be a part of her host family daily life. Whether it be hanging out at home playing Uno, helping cook or participating in any family outings. Ludo is very open minded with wanting to learn new cultures all while making new friends. Be a part of Ludo's future memories!

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.

Marcos is a cheerful happy person that loves to make others laugh. He is from a small town in Spain and is the youngest with three siblings. All of Marco’s siblings were also exchange students to the United States. He is a mature and well-mannered young man that loves to be outside and has a black belt in martial arts. Marcos loves to cook and play the piano. He is now learning to play the trombone. Marcos likes helping others and sports such as golf and flag football. He balances his love of activity with his love of music and relaxes to recharge his batteries. He is excited about improving his English in America and living with a family that is engaged and has a close relationship. Marcos loves time with others and is looking for a loving family in the United States.

Asia is a bright and friendly student from Italy with a big heart and an even bigger enthusiasm for new experiences. She shares a special bond with her older brother, who has always been her greatest cheerleader. Asia loves spending time at the gym with her mom, sketching in her free moments, and curling up with a good romantic book or TV series. Music is a daily companion for her, offering a moment of calm and reflection. She has a passion for cooking—especially desserts for her brother—and enjoys preparing traditional Italian favorites like carbonara. Asia has always dreamed of experiencing life in the U.S. She’s excited to share her culture, embrace new traditions, and become part of an American family’s daily life.

Originally from Colombia, Isabella now lives in Spain with her parents and their two dogs. She’s affectionate, kind, and adaptable—someone who starts out quiet but quickly opens up. Isabella loves spending time with family, baking desserts, watching movies, and playing games. She’s especially fond of little kids and enjoys caring for them. Isabella is active and adventurous, with experience in swimming, wakeboarding, and paddleboarding, and hopes to try cheerleading or rhythmic gymnastics during her exchange. Passionate about culture, Isabella is excited to share Colombian and Spanish traditions and dreams of studying international business one day. She’s deeply grateful for the chance to connect, learn, and grow with her future host family.

Emma is a lover of the outside and nature. She lives in a small German town with her parents and older brother. She loves English, Art and Physics. Emma enjoys time with family and is a good listener. She tries to help people around her whenever she can. Emma likes to play handball and loves to paint and play the piano. She is excited about spending time with a new host family and to be able to experience Christmas and other holidays in the United States. She wants to be able to bake and cook with her new family and learn more about the American culture. Emma would love to join clubs or play sports if possible, but her main interest is learning about the American way of life.

Meet Fanny 17, 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. 

Emie is from a small French beach town and loves to meet new people and explore new cultures. She loves running, swimming, drawing, and enjoying time with family. Emie is the oldest sibling and has one younger brother. She also likes dogs and especially cats. Emie speaks English and French and wants to become more bilingual by living with an American family. She is a sunny, happy person that loves to help others and is excited about experiencing the American dream.