Meet Our Students

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.

Mathilde is a funny, outgoing, and family-oriented girl! She loves to be silly and make jokes so her friends and family can smile and laugh. She has a close relationship with her family and even calls her brother a best friend! Mathilde loves to play soccer at her soccer club and would love to join a team at her American high school. One of the best parts about her soccer club is that her whole family finds a way to participate! She's looking forward to sharing experiences with her host family and new friends at school. Help make Mathilde's dream come true!

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!

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.

Liza from France is always up for an adventure! She loves to stay active because sports make her feel happy and full of energy. She is a member of a track and field team after school and also swims and plays basketball and volleyball. She loves track so much she started coaching younger athletes! This opportunity also gives her a chance to inspire and encourage kids, which is a field that she hopes to work in one day. Her family inspires her through their dedication, hard work and sense of responsibility. Liza is looking forward to challenging herself to adapt to the American lifestyle, living with an American family and sharing is special moments and memories! Whether it's enjoying music, sports, animals or anything else, Liza will bring her positive spirit to the day's adventures.

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.

My name is Elenor, and I live in a small village in western France near the sea. I share a warm home with my parents and my sister, whom I often help as she lives with a genetic condition. My days are filled with dance, a passion I’ve had since I was six, and which I now practice several hours a day, competing at regional and national levels. I also love reading—whether romance or fantasy—and spending time with my friends and family, whether hiking with my mother or watching classic films with my father. Thanks to my travels, including a memorable trip to the United States, I’ve discovered how much I appreciate the spontaneity and kindness of American culture. I would love to spend a year in the U.S. to experience everyday American life, join in school traditions like riding the yellow bus or discovering cheerleading, and share my own French culture in return. I hope to live with a family who will welcome this cultural exchange and allow us to learn from one another.

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.

Lucia lives with her parents, sister and cat. With her mom, she enjoys walking outside and going to the gym three times a week and to do weights, stretching, and other exercises together. Her time with her dad is spent watching soccer, either on TV or at a stadium, and they also enjoy learning about new cultures, meeting new people and visiting lots of places together. Lucia loves shopping, doing make up, singing and dancing with her sister. She loves animals and has always wanted a pet of her own. Her cat is a recent addition to the family that she is over the moon about. Lucia's favorite animal is horses, she has been riding for eight years, including show jumping. She has also played volleyball in the past. She really enjoys sports and being active. In the future, Lucia hopes to be a psychologist.