Meet Our Students

Yanis is excited to spend a year in the United States as an exchange student. Curious, sociable, and full of energy, he enjoys meeting new people, building connections, and trying new experiences. He is both creative and adaptable, comfortable in group settings as well as quieter moments. At home, Yanis is close with his older brother and sister and helps his family with daily responsibilities, showing his sense of responsibility and teamwork. In school, he especially enjoys history and English, with a strong interest in improving his language skills and becoming bilingual. He has been studying English for five years and is motivated to keep growing. Yanis plays tennis, his favorite sport, and spends his free time watching movies and series, listening to music, and working on creative projects. He appreciates music that tells a story and connects emotionally. Looking ahead, Yanis hopes to pursue a career in international marketing, where strong communication skills and cultural understanding will be important. Although he feels a bit nervous about being far from his family, he is ready to fully embrace this experience. He is especially looking forward to becoming part of a host family, sharing everyday life, and creating meaningful memories during what he hopes will be an unforgettable year.

Julien is an active student from France who is currently studying management and law at his high school. Alongside his studies, Julien enjoys working out, swimming, bowling, and more. Recently, he has started to make his own music! He enjoys making beats that people can dance to. Julien and his family have one cat, Neko, which means cat in Japanese. Julien decided to spend a year in the USA because he wants to become more independent and improve his English, while also wanting to discover something completely different. While he knows it won't always be easy, he is ready for the challenge. He is excited to live something unique, meet new people, and create memories that will stay with him for life.

Hi! You can call me Jimmy. I am very excited to share my Taiwanese culture with you, especially one of my favorite street foods, Large Intestine Noodle! It may sound a little unusual, but it is loved by many people in Taiwan. My favorite festival is the Lunar New Year, because it is the longest holiday of the year. My family and I spend lots of time together and visit relatives, which are always very meaningful moments to me. In terms of sports, my favorite activities are hiking and biking. I like them because they are easy to start and enjoyable. I usually do these activities with my friends, and we have a lot of fun together. I also enjoy playing table tennis and badminton. Recently, I have started watching soccer games and my favorite player is Lionel Messi. My hobbies include programming, watching Japanese anime, playing video games, and riding bikes. I am currently a member of the Computer Software Development Club, where I can learn from others who share similar interests. Joining the exchange student program is a great opportunity to share and exchange cultures with people from different countries. Going to the United States and living in an English-speaking environment will help me improve greatly. I hope to experience life as a local student, enjoy traditional dishes, make new friends, and join a school club. I want to sincerely thank you for considering me and for opening your home to a student from another country.

Larissa is excited to spend a year in America as an exchange student. She lives with her parents and several pets and values time with her family and friends. Larissa describes herself as shy at first but outgoing, caring, and social once she feels comfortable. She enjoys activities like horseback riding, theater, crafting, music, and spending time outdoors. She hopes her exchange year will help her become more independent, experience everyday life in America, build strong relationships with her host family and new friends, and share her Dutch culture while learning from new experiences.

I'm a really sporty girl, I enjoy running, climbing, doing Pilates, and wakeboarding just to name a few! Climbing is my favorite sport, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm a really curious person and I like to discover new things like new cultures, new sports, or new activities...I can't wait to discover your passions and practice them with you! In the future, I would like to be part of the scientist police and work on crime scenes. I want to bring justice to a victim's family, and I think this would be good for me because I like to solve puzzles and be observant. I have a cat called Groot, just like in Guardians of the Galaxy! She's very friendly and always hungry. I'm looking forward to meeting you and starting this adventure!

Raphael is a friendly and motivated high school student from southwest France, who is excited to experience life in the United States. He comes from a close-knit family and enjoys spending time with relatives, friends, and his dog. Active and adventurous, Raphael is passionate about sports, especially competitive karting, snowboarding, and water sports—which have taught him discipline, perseverance, and teamwork. At school, he studies a wide range of subjects and is especially motivated to improve his English through full immersion. Organized, responsible, and independent, he helps at home and values being an active part of family life. Raphael describes himself as open-minded, respectful, and adaptable, with a positive attitude toward new challenges. He looks forward to sharing French culture, participating in American traditions, and building meaningful connections with his host family while growing personally and academically during his exchange year.

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.

First of all, I would like to thank you for your welcome this school year, which will allow me to live this incredible experience. I live in the South of France in a small mountain village with my family. We have a dog, Oslo, who is my best friend. If I were to tell you about myself, I would tell you that I love animals, drawing, and the mountains! I also love horses, I have been riding for over 10 years. What I enjoy most is spending time with the horses and concentrating on my technique without thinking about anything else. I have been drawing since I was a little girl and I even took classes in Fine Arts. I would like to go to an interior design school in the future, and help people feel good in their homes. My dream is to try out for the high school cheerleading team. This doesn't exist in French school and is something I have always wanted to do. I can't wait to meet you and to spend this year with you!

Luis is responsible, outgoing, and enthusiastic with a deep passion for learning, sports, and connecting with others. His interests range from boxing, skiing, and surfing, to music, cooking, and exploring personal growth. Inspired by his love for working with young children, he hopes to become a primary school teacher one day. Luis wants to come to America not only to improve his English, but also to experience a new culture, challenge himself in a different academic environment, and become part of a family with whom he can share traditions, build meaningful relationships, and grow personally. He sees this exchange as a chance to step outside of his comfort zone and discover more about the world and himself.