Meet Our Students

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.

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.

Roman is a well-balanced boy from Germany. He is looking forward to coming to the United States, joining a host family, and becoming involved at school. Improving his language skills and making meaningful connections are his top priorities. His own family has taught him about respect, quality time, and responsibility, all of which he hopes to find and share with an American host family. Some of his favorite activities are soccer, chess, skiing, and cooking. Roman appreciates balance in life like being physically active and also having calm, relaxing activities. He hopes to truly engage with his host family because he wants to experience real family life to understand the daily routines, traditions, and values of an American family.

For more info, check out my Host Family Letter!

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.

Meet Nina from France! She has practiced modern dance for the past 10 years, and this allowed her to meet new people and participate in competitions. This taught her to manage stress and gain confidence, but she has not been able to do it much lately and it would be great if she was able to participate in a dance program in the US. Nina also enjoys school, her subjects like business management, economics and human resources will help her with her future endeavors. She hopes to join some clubs at school to focus on leadership as well. Her friends would describe her as fun, outgoing, meticulous, and loves to laugh. Nina likes to meet with friends for coffee, celebrate birthdays, go to concerts and watch football games. She wants to continue to discover new things during her exchange year and cannot wait to meet her new host family.

Aishabibi is a kind‑hearted, thoughtful student from Kazakhstan who instantly makes people feel comfortable. She grew up in a close, loving family and brings that same warmth into everything she does. She helps with cooking, cleaning, and keeping the home running smoothly, and she especially loves baking with her mom. Active and energetic, she enjoys football, volleyball, and boxing—sports she’s been around since childhood thanks to her grandfather, a former coach. She’s deeply curious about the world, passionate about languages and international relations, and eager to learn from a new culture. She uses Salbutamol only rarely for mild asthma. A family who welcomes her will gain a grateful, hardworking daughter who will leave a lasting mark on their hearts.

Miharu is a cheerful girl from Japan who is excited to improve her English! Traveling on a school trip to Singapore, hosting an exchange student from India, and getting to know a Taiwanese student who joined her school, has helped her realize that learning English well will help her improve relationships and better understand cultures worldwide. She loves taking photos and is even a member of a photo club. She is excited to capture special moments of her exchange year! With a passion for Japanese anime and manga, Miharu is excited to see the books on the shelves of an American bookstore or library. She has a few allergy sensitivities that she manages well on her own. Ultimately, she is excited to learn from her host family and share wonderful memories together!

Anaelle is full of energy, curiosity, and warmth, with a deep love for cultural exchange and adventure. She is passionate about music, outdoor activities, and trying new things—from skiing and hiking to paddleboarding and zip-lining. Anaelle and her family are big fans of amusement parks. They live close to Disneyland Paris and go there quite often, but she also loves thrill rides in other parks nearby. Though she may be shy at first, she quickly becomes friendly, talkative, and eager to connect. Anaelle is academically driven, socially engaged, and excited to share her French culture while embracing everyday American life with enthusiasm and heart. "I'm really excited to meet you, explore new experiences, and enjoy every moment of this adventure. I’m thrilled to create lots of happy memories together."