Academic Year in America is still looking for host families for students arriving in August. Join in on the excitement and take the plunge! Visit the AYA Website and register to become a host family to an international teen.
Tag Archives: Family Life
“It’s a world of laughter, a world of love…”
“…the very real blessings that sustains me are the relationships we share with our friends and family we met by chance. These are the relationships gathered from cultural exchange begun because we welcomed an international teen into our home and heart”
It’s not goodbye…
Proms, final exams, and graduations have come and gone. Lockers have been closed for the last time and the once slightly unsure new international student has transformed into a confident bilingual “American” teenager. It’s June and that means another Academic Year in America has come to an end. As a Local Coordinator, I am alwaysContinue reading “It’s not goodbye…”
My Moroccan “daughter” Meriem…
I will keep this brief. Today is a hard day for our family and for Meriem. Today was the day we chose to avoid talking about, but prepared for nonetheless. Today was the day at 6:20AM when bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived we drove to our local airport, helped her sort out the weight distribution between herContinue reading “My Moroccan “daughter” Meriem…”
Why yes! Mr. Incredible is my “son”!
The 2015-2016 school year brought two young men into our lives to live as our exchange sons, but I only refer to one as “Mr. Incredible”. Fifteen year old Javier stepped off his plane to meet our family in mid August of 2015. He was exhausted, having just spent a whirlwind four days at hisContinue reading “Why yes! Mr. Incredible is my “son”!”
You must meet my “son” Mirko!
It was a cold, wintry January day when I opened my email to see that my Regional Director at AYA had sent me an application to view for “an Italian kid ” he thought my family would like to host. Before I wondered too long how Pieter had read my mind, I opened the attachment to readContinue reading “You must meet my “son” Mirko!”
My “daughter” Leoni is pretty awesome too!
The fall of 2014 was the beginning of our daughter Micah’s Senior year in high school. We thought about hosting an exchange student, hesitated because we knew it would be a busy year of “Senior” events, and then finally decided to commit only to find out our local high school had enrolled all the exchange studentsContinue reading “My “daughter” Leoni is pretty awesome too!”
Meet my Brazilian”son”, Gabriel
Gabriel came from Recife, Brazil to live with our family in early August, 2013. His English was still developing, but his giant smile and immediate embrace of each one of us at the airport won over our hearts in an instant. Everything was easy from the first moment with Gabriel. There was never any doubt inContinue reading “Meet my Brazilian”son”, Gabriel”
This is my “daughter” Yizheng, I mean Sherry
Five years ago, our family decided to host an exchange student who would attend the small, private Catholic high school our daughter attended. We knew very little about China or Chinese culture and were super nervous this only child would hate living in our crazy house of eight. We weren’t sure if we should call her Yizheng or herContinue reading “This is my “daughter” Yizheng, I mean Sherry”
So Why Should I Host an Exchange Student?
It’s that time of year again. Time to start recruiting AYA host families and matching them up with the perfect student. I know what you are thinking….WHY would I want to host an exchange student in my home? Isn’t that a bit……crazy? Well, crazy maybe, but here’s my top 10 list as to WHY youContinue reading “So Why Should I Host an Exchange Student?”
An International Family 