Meet Our Students

Leonardo is ready to open up to the world, the US and your family. He is excited to explore your community and your culture. When it comes to school and sports, he always pushes himself to perform his very best. His school can be academically demanding but he is not afraid to give the time and energy that is necessary. The soccer field is where he spends a lot of his time and has been playing competitively since he was six, but he has also recently tried mountain biking. Leonardos best friend is his twin brother, he also has an older sister who just returned from a semester in Ireland. Leonardo has visited the US once before and had a wonderful time. He hopes you can open your heart and home to him, and help him to grow and become a citizen of the world through his exchange year.

"Nice, generous, open-minded and sociable" Hi! I am Lise from France and those are some of the adjectives my friends used to describe me. I am a 17 year old from Ile-de France. I am so excited to join your family and study in the United States of America. I am not afraid of looking ridiculous, which helps me create many opportunities for myself. I want to succeed in life and have fun. My family is very close; I live with my mom, dad, and three sisters. Although my family does not have pets, I am hoping to have a dog in America. I have many interests and I need to be active. I love gymnastics, dancing (in my room), and drawing. In school, I love art history and philosphy. I am sure I get this from my mother who is a teacher. I have goals for my exchange year: to be come fluent in English. I cannot wait to meet, you; my host family! Thank you for allowing me to become part of your life.

Please see my Dear Host Family letter to learn more about me!

For more information check out his host family letter!

More to follow...

I'm so excited and enthusiastic to write this, I can't wait to know and meet you and stay one year together! I hope I'll be accepted within your family as a daughter, I'll always help you when you'll need it. I hope to have a nice experience with you, but especially that you will feel good with me. One of my hobbies is baking pancakes, chocolate pies and cookies! I also tried to make crepes but I've never been able to, so if you are good at it please teach me, I'll teach you how to cook Italian dish, like pasta, pizza and lasagna. One of my future projects is to teach Italian in a school that's not in Italy, to foreign people, maybe the first ones will be you!

Diego (16) from Italy is very whimsical (wait until you read about brushing his teeth). He loves art; it is a big part of his life. He loves experimenting with different painting techniques, he enjoys reflecting his moods, feeling and thoughts in what he creates. He has played soccer since he was 6 in official leagues. Other interests include cooking, listening to music and Manga comics. “the spirit of my application to become an Exchange Student: to reach beyond what is already at hand, to bring with me everything I have to share, and to bring back what will make me a better person”

I love animals and have a dog named Casper who is a Maltese/Bichon mix. I also enjoy scouting and I meet with fellow scouts every Saturday. I really like learning new languages and I am currently studying English and German. My favorite sports are kayaking and paddle surfing, but I can only practice them in the summer. The rest of the year I practice swimming and tennis. I am learning to play the guitar as I love music. I am a very responsible person and eager to learn new things. I may study medicine in my future as this is something my mother does but I also like business related studies. Participating in this student exchange program in America is a dream come true for me. I have been wanting to do it for years. I thank you in advance for your generous hospitality for giving me the opportunity to live this experience!

Taku likes “getting out of his comfort zone to have new cultural experiences and meet new people.” Named by his maternal grandfather who was born in Japan and moved to Italy about 50 years ago, Taku says his Japanese name describes him accurately as “precise and calm.” His scientific/international high school, he says, is one of the hardest in Bologna, Italy, and his favorite subjects are math, physics, and science. English, however, is his real passion that helps him learn about other hobbies such as First Person View (FPV) Droning and Ultimate Frisbee by watching videos in English, mostly from the US. Taku is very active and loves to ski, windsurf, sail, play tennis, and go biking on weekends with his dad or with friends. He’s taking lifeguard classes so before he arrives in the US, he’ll already have worked as a lifeguard over the summer! Taku is so excited to live with a host family in the US – “It’s always been a dream to live this experience!” – and is grateful to his parents (and future host parents) who help him make this dream come true.

For more information check out her host family letter!