Meet Our Students

More info. to follow.

Martina (Marti) is a sunny, animal-loving student from Italy who’s passionate about understanding people and their behavior. She studies human sciences, rides horses competitively, and enjoys skiing, gymnastics, and cooking homemade pizza with her Dad. When she was 10, she spoke with a girl who had just returned from an exchange year in the U.S.—and from that moment, it became her dream to do the same. Now, she’s excited to finally make it happen! Marti looks forward to learning about American culture, making new friends, and growing through this experience. She hopes to be part of a warm, welcoming family and can’t wait to share laughter, traditions, and everyday life together. If you're looking for a joyful, curious, and caring student to share your home and heart with—Marti is ready to become part of your family.

Meet Arstenbek from Kyrgyzstan. He is a serious student with a fun side! He is excited to learn about American culture and wants to try baseball and American football. He enjoys hobbies like chess, Monopoly, and table tennis. He is a recipient of the prestigious FLEX scholarship for students that have demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities. He spends weekdays at a boarding school where he is engaged in several interesting projects called GreenLand, Bilimbot, Olimpfund and Olimplearn. He describes the boarding school as an opportunity that he is extremely grateful to be a part of where he is learning cleanliness and respect for elders along with academic subjects. On weekends he is home with his family which includes his mother, father and ten-year-old brother. Helping out at home when he is there is very important to Arstanbek, he cleans, cooks and grocery shops for his family. He is also very passionate about his culture; he plays a traditional instrument called the Chopo-Chor. He also acknowledges what an amazing act of kindness hosting a student is and will truly appreciate this opportunity to its fullest.

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. 

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 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!!!

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.

Introducing Emma from France, who is bursting with excitement for her upcoming year in America—an opportunity she has eagerly waited for many years. Emma lives in France with her parents, younger brother, and their beloved cat, Nala. She describes herself as a “cheerful and open-minded person who delights in both the small everyday joys and the thrill of new adventures”. She sees herself as “funny, kind, honest, and sensitive.” Emma loves to travel. She is a huge fan of Star Wars, and a memorable moment was when her parents reenacted the iconic scene between Anakin and Padmé in Italy, creating unforgettable memories. In addition to her adventurous spirit, Emma enjoys baking treats like cookies, cakes, and desserts. She has a creative side, engaging in various handcraft activities, and she is passionate about music and playing the piano. In terms of sports, she enjoys snow skiing and basketball. She is eagerly anticipating her time in American schools, looking forward to joining clubs, sports teams, and other activities.

More to follow...

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.