Meet Our Students

Nattapoom goes by the nickname Job! He is an adventurous and easy going guy, who has dreamed about coming to America ever since he was five years old and saw Mr. Bean in Los Angeles on TV. He made a choice then that one day he would come to the U.S. and now he has the chance. Job plays the piano and hopes to one day play professionally. He loves to try exotic cords and sings along with them as well. Job enjoys staying active, by doing cardio or playing soccer. He can't wait to spend a school year with your family and make a bunch of new friends! Job lives by the motto "follow the passion (and) bring out my patience for the problem by adaptation.” He's ready to adapt to a new lifestyle and teach more about the Thai culture as well. He is ready!

Meet Flex scholarship recipient, 17-year-old, Maina, from Tajikistan. Her family consist of eight members which include: her mother, father, a brother, two sisters, and two little nephews, and one big dog! Maina is the youngest out of all her siblings and feels that every moment spent together as a family is very important. Maina has a very strong desire to volunteer, help others and organize parties and other events. Through this set of interest Maina hopes to increase her critical thinking, outlook, and knowledge. Maina also really enjoys swimming and has been swimming for the past ten years, she also likes reading and photography. In the future Maina hopes to student business or tourism abroad and is ready to start this journey by coming to America. Since beginning to study English five years ago Maina has hoped to come to America and believed that was her first step in becoming an exchange student. She is very anxious to join your family and learn more about your family’s traditions and cultures.

Meet Lana! She lives with her mother in Georgia. She has an older sister who lives in a nearby town and her father is currently working in Russia. Despite being in separate towns, her family is still very close. She is a very hard working and trust-worthy person. She keeps her word and always follows through on everything that she puts her mind to. Three things that are most important to her are music, books, and communicating with people around her. She is very outgoing and loves spending time with her friends as well as making new friends. She speaks three languages and spent the first six years of her life living in Russia! She hopes to learn more about America and even plans to try new things while here, such a learn to play an instrument or play on a sports team.

Say hello to Juan Pedro! He loves to sing and enjoys doing so whatever his mood may be. Isn't song a wonderful way of expression? He hopes to one day be a singer. He also plans to study math so that he can become a teacher one day. He loves dogs and rabbits - he would truly love to be in a home that has them too since he has no pets of his own. Basketball is his favorite sport to play even though he "Is awful at sports" He certainly has a good spirit about him! He is really looking forward to his new family as well as some snow and a totally new experience!

Alibek is a 16 year old FLEX scholarship recipient from Kazakhstan. He lives there with his parents, 2 brothers and sister who is married. He helps his family with regular chores around the home and also helps his younger brother with his homework. Alibek has many interests, one is geography-"that's my favorite subject at school." He likes learning about different countries, islands, seas and oceans. "In the future, I'm going to visit as more countries as I can." Alibek also enjoys sports, his favorite is boxing. He also enjoys swimming and table tennis. Alibek and his friends enjoy playing table tennis together, they also enjoy playing Play Station, going out to eat and visiting the park & promenade together. Welcome Alibek to your family this fall!

Rebecca from Italy describes herself as quiet and not one for crowds, but she loves concerts and music. He attends a Science based high school with a focus on anatomy, pathology, physiology, and biology - but she loves the arts and reading. She loves hanging out with friends, but is very close with her family which includes her parents, little brother, and an aunt who is more like a sister. She is a study in contrasts! She loves her cat and her dog. She does not play any sports now, and chooses to focus on her studies; but she has played volleyball and done dance for years. Her dad is in construction and her mom is an Accountant. She is not sure what she wants to be when she grows up, but she knows an exchange year will help her learn more about herself - so maybe you can help her figure that out!

Guillaume (William in English) is an organized and ambitious young man who has the hopes of being a computer engineer one day. His teachers speak very highly of him and his grades reflect that as well! His favorite subject is math. He enjoys playing the drums, although he has never been in a band! It is just something he does on his own and has been doing for the past seven years. Guillaume also enjoys playing computer games, riding his bike and spending time with his grandparents who live down the road from them. He isn't too big into sports, but does enjoy skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking and swimming in the summer. Guillaume is very excited to study in the US and hopes that he can even learn a few jokes while he is here too! He does note that he is much more of a meat eater, than vegetables.

"I think the best quality in my character is never give up, If I will start something I will do it till the end. Aruzhan has big plans for her future, starting with her exchange year, a year she believes will be filled many new experiences and challenges. In the future she would like to be a doctor. Aruzhan's name means " a beautiful, kind and light soul", and from her profile is appears that she was very aptly named. Aruzhan enjoys time with family, playing the piano, dancing, singing, and sports. At home she has a dog, parrots and fish. While on program she would love to participate in as many school activities as possible. Some possibilities she finds intriguing include drama, the school newspaper, chorus, photography, volleyball swimming and gymnastics. Some of the foods she is excited to try are hamburgers, chocolate chip cookies, nachos, pizza and BLT's. How many of these foods could your family introduce to Aruzhan?

Hi, my name is Anibal. I live in Spain with my family. We like going together to the beach, walking, and having parties with barbecue. I enjoy doing a lot of thing with my friends, such as going shopping and going to the cinema. I play tennis since age 9 and I started gymnastics with some friends last year. I have my own dog for almost one year. I love playing and walking with him. I am a scout and I like it because I learn a lot, and it makes me forget all my problems. I am also a fan of technology, and I especially admire Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. They want to help others and change the world and I would like to do the same. I am excited to be a part of your family soon.

Meet Noelia who loves to skate , swim and play the bassoon. She loves to learn about other peoples and cultures and traditions. She has studied in both England and France so she knows what it means to be part of a host family. She enjoys the cinema and her family often will watch and study films together in the evening while they eat a meal. She also enjoys amusement parks and riding all of the rollercoasters! Her family is very important to her (even her dog) She is a very expressive girl, often she sings or plays music for this purpose, for she knows the value of self expression. She is eager to learn all that she can about the family she will be a part of, the community and the traditions of her new home. She even hopes to learn some of the "slang" so she can really be a part of it all! Enthusiasm and joy radiate from this young lady. This is a dream come true for her and she just cannot wait for it to be even more real when she meets you!