Meet Our Students

I'm truly happy and excited to write this letter to my future host family! The idea of spending a year abroad, discovering a new culture, becoming part of a new family, and growing through this unique experience is something that fills me with joy, curiosity, and gratitude. I spend a lot of time with my family and extended family, especially during holidays and family events. These moments – full of laughter, storytelling, and home-cooked meals – are incredibly important to me. I have been playing volleyball for several years, and I absolutely love it! It has taught me resilience, dedication, and teamwork. I also love art, specifically architecture! If I had to describe myself, I’d say I’m a positive, respectful, curious, and determined person. I love learning, listening, discovering new things, and contributing to the world around me. I’m genuinely excited to begin this new adventure, to become part of your family, to experience your culture and your way of life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for choosing to open your home and your life to me.

I am a really active and sporty person, I'd probably do any physical activity that looks fun to me. I am a very positive person, and I'd say that I am very communicative and sociable. I love being in the company of people, because I don't feel like myself when no one is around. Throughout the whole year I play basketball, and I enjoy playing soccer during the summer months! Sometimes I work as a Lego ambassador, where I stand next to a stand and promote new toys or smile at people that come around. I like working jobs because it makes me feel important and I like to help people with something I know about. I am so excited to be an exchange student and live for a year with an American family! I want to meet new people, make some new friends, and experience US holidays that we don't celebrate in the Czech Republic, like Halloween and Thanksgiving! I really want to see the school's sport events such as Basketball and American football Friday night games. I can't wait to experience that American Dream everybody has been telling me about!

I live in northern Italy with my parents and my older brother. I attend a scientific high school because I enjoy subjects like mathematics. I like spending time with my family, doing activities such as playing board games, watching movies, biking, and skiing. I practice athletics and I am a middle-distance runner. I also enjoy swimming, cycling, walking, and ice skating. In my free time, I like being with friends, watching TV series (especially Suits), reading novels and magazines, and playing video games. I love cooking and eating, especially parmigiana, mushroom risotto, and chocolate desserts. I chose to spend a school year in the United States to improve my English and to experience a different culture and school system. I am excited to try new subjects and meet new people. I am interested in airplanes and would like to become an airline pilot in the future. I am very grateful to my host family for welcoming me into their home, and I hope we will spend a wonderful year together.

Meet 16-year-old French student Mael who lives in a small village with his father, mother, older brother and cat. Mael is close to his family and they often play board games, pool, and darts and he enjoys activities with his friends. He is currently in the 10th grade and would like to become an architect in the future. His friends and family describe him as nice, respectful, open-minded, funny, generous, clever, friendly and easy to live with. Mael enjoys walking and cycling with his active family along with playing soccer, basketball, table tennis and practicing judo. Beside playing sports, he enjoys music, cooking and traveling. He did a two-week cultural exchange to Panama and his family hosted an exchange student in 2021. While in the US he wants to immerse himself in an American family to discover American life and culture.

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.

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.

Marieta is a warm, curious, and optimistic girl from the sunny mountains of Armenia, and is excited about starting a new adventure with a family like yours. She describes herself as someone who finds beauty in everyday moments and keeps a positive spirit even during hard times. She lives in a small, nature-filled city where people are kind and close-knit. Marieta enjoys spending time with her parents, little brother, grandmother, and dog, Fitty. She proudly takes part in daily chores and especially cherishes her bond with her grandma. Marieta loves painting, cooking, dancing, hiking, and building friendships. Looking ahead, she dreams of becoming a social worker and marketing specialist, using kindness and connection to help others. Marieta's heart is filled with excitement about joining your family, creating meaningful memories together, and sharing her sunny energy with you.

Jean lives with his parents, two brothers, sister and dog. He was born in the Caribbean and lived there for the first seven years of his life. He is a practicing Catholic and goes to church every Sunday. In his free time, Jean likes to play tennis, running, swimming, and cycling. He has been involved in scouting for several years. His friends and family often say that he brings energy and joy to the people around him. 

Augustin is a cheerful and sociable student from France who loves discovering new cultures and connecting with people. Deeply shaped by his lively family and his years in scouting, he values kindness, teamwork, and helping others. A passionate athlete, he has spent many years playing soccer, tennis, and rugby, and hopes to continue playing soccer during his exchange year. He also enjoys simple moments — from playing board games with his siblings to sharing laughs with friends at boarding school. Curious, reliable, and full of positive energy, Augustin is excited to join a host family, learn from their way of life, share a bit of French culture, and create meaningful memories together.