Meet Our Students

Franziska, or Franzi, is a friendly and open-minded student from eastern Germany who loves both the energy of the city and the calm of the countryside. She has a deep passion for music, having played the transverse flute for nine years, and she enjoys how it connects people. Swimming is another major part of her life—she has trained for years and now coaches young children, something she finds both fun and meaningful. Outside of her main hobbies, Franzi enjoys being active outdoors, skiing in winter, and doing creative activities like baking. She hopes to come to America to experience everyday life in a U.S. family, celebrate American traditions like Halloween and Thanksgiving, explore new foods and activities, improve her English, and grow more independent while building lasting connections.

From northwestern France, Emmy is pleasant and poised and looking forward to creating incredible memories with her host family. Not one to fall into routine, Emmy enjoys the special moments that are often experienced during new adventures. Her family is very important to her, and she enjoys celebrating festive events like birthdays and Christmas with laughter and a meal. A passionate person, Emmy enjoys sports like handball, cheering on her favorite teams, baking, exploring new places, and animals! When it's finally time to relax, Emmy sits down with a good book or a movie, and of course, listens to her favorite music every day! Emmy is looking forward to becoming a true member of her American host family with a strong bond lasting well beyond her exchange year.

Anais is from a small town in France. She is very close with her family, and the best time of day is when they eat together around the table and talk about their day. Anais is very open-minded and curious. She loves meeting people and discovering new things. She has a love for languages, which is her favorite subject in school. She learns French, English, and Spanish. Anais hopes to improve her English during this exchange and become fluent in English. She likes musical comedies and movies of all kinds. Anais would love to discover American high school, the yellow school bus, the mascot, prom, and even go to a football or basketball game and see the cheerleaders. She is a young lady who has many ambitions and goals and even if she fails, she will never give up. Anais will do her very best to adapt and become a helpful member of your family.

Benoit is a friendly and responsible student who loves learning, helping younger kids, and being part of a close-knit family. He enjoys reading fantasy and history, playing strategy and creative games, staying active through fencing and swimming, and spending time outdoors. Benoit is a dedicated student with strong interests in history, languages, and economics, and he’s comfortable around both cats and dogs. A recent trip to the U.S. sparked his excitement to return, discover American traditions, explore new places, and share some of his own French culture while becoming part of a welcoming host family.

Meet Oscar from France who is ready for an adventure! He plays handball on a team twice a week and has been playing the piano for 8 years. He has many interests as you can see. He loves all kinds of pets like cats, dogs, rabbits, etc. Oscar is dedicated to his studies, and his favorite subjects are math and science. In the future, he would like to become an architect and create enormous and incredible buildings. He is very active and loves to go to the countryside and help his grandparents with the gardening. He enjoys the outdoors and in the winter season he likes to go skiing with his family. Oscar hopes to improve his English and build lifelong memories with his new host family.

Abduazim is a well-rounded student from Uzbekistan. While being academically focused, he also finds value in helping his mother with chores around home and helping his father at his bakery on the weekends. Basketball, volleyball, chess, and hiking are some of Abduazim's favorite activities, especially when able to enjoy them with friends! Abduazim is looking forward to improving his English and learning American culture while also honoring and sharing where he comes from. He follows a Halal diet which he understands could be difficult and so while he can't have pork, he can eat vegetarian and seafood options and is happy to help prepare his meals!

Phupha is from a small, quiet province in Thailand. He is a kind, thoughtful, and slightly shy person at first, but once he feels comfortable, his warm personality and gentle sense of humor shine through. Phupha enjoys spending time with family, especially cooking and jogging with his mom, and values kindness, politeness, and respect in everyday life. He loves animals, outdoor activities like hiking and biking, and is passionate about sports—especially soccer, as a big Liverpool fan. Curious and open-minded, Phupha is excited to experience American culture, try new foods and traditions, and share stories from Thailand. He hopes to be a helpful, positive, and friendly member of his host family while creating meaningful memories together.

Katie is easygoing, warm, and known for her bright smile—especially in awkward moments. Katie loves animals (especially dogs and cats), warm weather, and spending time at the beach, where she’s happiest relaxing in the sun with ice cream in hand. While she’s adventurous and open-minded, she’ll admit she has one big fear: spiders! In her free time, Katie enjoys watching movies, shopping at the mall, exploring new places, and hanging out with friends. She is always eager to try new activities and looks forward to participating in family traditions, school events, and anything new her host family enjoys doing together. Family and friendships are very important to Katie. She values the strong support system she has at home, especially her parents, who have taught her independence, patience, and resilience. Through her exchange experience, Katie hopes to grow more independent, adapt to a new culture, and gain meaningful life experiences. She is deeply grateful to host families who open their homes and hearts and is excited to learn about American culture, daily life, and family traditions while becoming a part of her host family.

Aurora is from northern Italy and attends a linguistic high school. She is described as sweet, kind, calm, sensitive, and responsible. She has a close and supportive family, including her parents and her younger sister, who is also her best friend. Dance is a very important part of her life: she practices classical and modern dance and sees it as a way to express herself and relax. She is also deeply involved in scouts, volunteering, church activities, and amateur theater. Aurora enjoys cooking, walking in nature, drawing, and painting, and she dreams of working in the fashion world or becoming a tour guide. She wants to become an exchange student in the USA to improve her English, overcome her shyness, grow personally, and experience a new culture while sharing Italian traditions.