Meet Our Students

Hannah is a thoughtful, motivated student from Taiwan who brings a wonderful balance of responsibility, creativity, and warmth. As president of her Applied English Student Association, she’s already shown strong leadership and the ability to manage events and handle pressure with maturity. Outside of school, she stays active through boxing and handstand training and loves cooking everything from traditional Taiwanese dishes to pasta, steak, and curry. She’s also a big fan of musicals—both live and on screen—which she enjoys sharing and discussing with others. Hannah describes herself as 40% outgoing and 60% introverted: she loves exploring with her host family but also respects quiet time to recharge. She adores animals, enjoys trying new things, and is working hard to strengthen her English before arrival. Ready to step out of her comfort zone, she hopes to become a true part of a family’s daily life. Families looking for a capable, kind, and culturally curious student won’t want to miss the chance to host Hannah.

Meet Chi Yu, known as Daniel, a Taiwanese scholarship recipient! He is one of 5 kids including a twin brother! He also has a pond with Koi fish and goldfish at his home. He is an initially shy boy, but opens up and is very polite and empathetic. He loves Japanese and American foods and can’t wait for all the food places in the states. He loves building things and loves working with Legos. Daniel is also a huge fan of the NBA. His favorite team is the Warriors and favorite player, Steph Curry. Apply to host Daniel and have a blast watching NBA games and eating together!

Tihalina 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. 

Meet Julia who 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 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.”

Mizuki (Mizu) is a warm and motivated student from the countryside of Japan. She dreams of building connections between Japan and other countries and is excited to experience American culture while sharing her own. Mizuki is active in her school’s volunteer club, where she helps clean streets and cook meals for children in need. She loves singing with friends and enjoys both playing and watching sports, especially badminton, track and field, and baseball. Growing up surrounded by Hokkaido’s beautiful nature, cherry blossoms, and famous foods like ramen, Mizu brings kindness, curiosity, and a strong desire to become a meaningful part of her future host family.

Tim describes himself as inquisitive, respectful, and vibrant young individual, always eager to explore new horizons and wholeheartedly engages in every endeavor he undertakes. Tim loves sports, particularly gym workouts/ weight training, running, and swimming. Additionally, he was a member of a JunoMichi sports club, a variant of judo, for 8 years. His artistic side: he loves drawing/art, creative projects and enjoys cooking. Family is very important to Tim. He also has a love for nature and relishes spending time outdoors. During a school internship last year, he had the incredible opportunity to spend a month in Mozambique. “Living away from my usual environment taught me to take initiative, manage my daily life, and adapt to new situations.” He is genuinely excited about discovering the American school system. “My goal is to cultivate genuine bonds with you, sharing laughter, stories, and unforgettable moments while fully integrating into your family.”

Zilola is a creative fun-loving student that lives in a large city in Uzbekistan. She has a large extended family of cousins, and her grandmother is next door, so they spend a lot of time together over meals. Zilola loves to cook and wants to share this love with her American family. Zilola is part of an American English support class and helps others with the language. She is excited to practice her English in the U.S. and wants to learn the culture, while sharing hers. Zilola has tried many sports (water polo, karate, taekwondo, swimming, and dancing) and wants to stay healthy and fit during her exchange program, by trying new things. She considers herself an orderly and neat student, so she will always keep her room clean and loves to help around the house, when possible.

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.

Meet Arthur who has a big 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 a part 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!