Meet Our Students

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 Emma from France:  She writes, “I want to live the everyday life of an American teenager….I want to understand the culture, traditions, and way of life of an American family…it is a dream to be part of a family abroad, to share moments with them, to celebrate holidays together, and to learn from each other.” She describes herself as coming from a very close-knit family which includes her parents, her little sister and her beloved dog, Urion. Her parents own their own bakery, and she is eager to help them where she can.  She envisions herself helping her host family in their home as well and baking French pastries with them as a way of sharing her traditions. She is also looking forward to learning her host’s traditions and thinks the best way to learn about another culture is to live with a host family.  Her hobbies include jazz dance, afro dance, swimming and reading.  Besides caring for her dog, Emma also has experience caring for and riding horses. Please consider opening your home to Emma, she is looking forward to making this a year a year of friendship and sharing with her host family as well as personal growth and increased confidence!

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.

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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 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. 

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Meet Lilou, from France who lives with her parents, two brothers, and her beloved dog and cat. She has a deep affection for all kinds of animals. Describing herself as energetic, enthusiastic, social, sensitive, and curious, Lilou is thrilled about her upcoming exchange program in the United States. While she enjoys various sports, volleyball is her favorite, and she is an active member of her volleyball club. She appreciates the teamwork and trust that volleyball fosters, saying, “Volleyball has taught me to encourage others, handle pressure, and persevere even when things don’t go perfectly.” In addition to sports, Lilou interests include cinema, creating day vlogs, fashion, playing board games, visiting zoos, ice skating, and camping. She loves embracing new experiences, and bonfires with s'mores would be a great experience for her. Having already participated in a French film, her aspiration is to become an actress and engage in film productions. Lilou is excited to share her culture with you and is eager to assist in the kitchen. “I believe that I can bring a lot of energy, positivity, and joy to your family.”

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”.

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.