Meet Our Students

Ethan is a kind-hearted and thoughtful boy from Thailand. Known by his friends as the “gentle giant,” he’s admired for his caring nature and quiet strength. He comes from a close-knit, supportive family and cherishes time spent with them, especially enjoying spicy Thai dishes made by his grandma. Ethan is passionate about basketball and plays as a main team member at school, where he also shines in academics, particularly in English and Business Studies. He’s musically talented, playing guitar in his school band, and enjoys anime, gaming, and exploring different cultures. Ethan is excited to join a host family, share his Thai heritage, and build meaningful connections through this exchange experience.

Celia is a 14-year-old (turning 15 in Dec) exchange student from Spain currently in ninth grade at a multilingual school. She is a dedicated and high-achieving student with a strong interest in biology and hopes to study medicine in the future. Celia comes from a close and supportive family and has a deep love for animals. She is especially passionate about basketball and has played competitively for several years, participating in official tournaments and three-point competitions. She also enjoys trying new sports, reading, playing the violin, and theater. Having previously taken part in student exchange programs in Europe, Celia is excited to immerse herself in American culture, improve her English, and share her own traditions. She describes herself as calm, sociable, adaptable, and respectful, and looks forward to becoming an active member of her host family.

Tatana loves to dance and listen to music with her family. She describes herself as funny and friendly. Her favorite subjects in school are History, English, Czech, German and Biology. She is a street dancer and plays drums and electric guitar. Tatana enjoys reading and hopes to write her own book one day. She does a lot of volunteering; she is currently planning a big charity event to raise money for her local hospice. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. Tatana is working at a restaurant right now to help become more financially independent. In the future, she would like to study law and become a politician that will somehow change the world.

Noah who is a 6'3 basketball player, cannot wait to meet his new host family. His dream is to discover a different country with a different culture and a different way of life. He would like to improve his English and experience some American holiday traditions. Noah would like to study engineering in the field of computer science. His friends describe him as a calm, gentle, young man that likes to smile and laugh a lot. He would love to have a family with animals. Noah enjoys skiing and hiking, but of course his favorite sport is basketball. ln addition to his motivation, he is a sociable person, and loves meeting new people and making new friends.

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.

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."

Meet Leanne from France who loves to sing and dance, and she is part of a kpop dance association back home. She loves cooking or baking and cannot wait to make something for her new host family. She loves animals and enjoys going to the zoo and seeing the lions. Leanne did a year of horseback riding as well. She enjoys long walks and being outdoors. Her friends would describe her as empathetic, mature, organized, sensitive and an honest person that loves to dream. She cannot wait to meet you!

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.

For more info, check out my Host Family Letter!