Student exchanges are back! After what felt like a lifetime of waiting for the opportunity to easily bring international students to the USA, AYA students are being matched with host families, high schools are granting permission to enroll, new relationships and bonds are blooming through social media, emails and text, and in one month…. dreams start to come true!
Everyone in student exchange is bubbling with excitement as flights are getting scheduled and the day of arrival is coming soon. In less than two weeks, the first exchange student in my area will arrive after waiting nearly 18 months! Her host family is so excited and announced her pending arrival on their Facebook page with the joy of an expectant “parent”. As I saw the announcement, my heart swelled with joy knowing that as a Local Coordinator, I had a small part in bringing them together.
As a host Mom, I am making “to do” lists of all the things I want to do before Marella, our newest exchange daughter, arrives in early August. She and I are sharing texts/ videos and photos of our summer vacations, her trip to the US Embassy for her student VISA, and messages of excitement about her exchange year starting very soon, less than a month at the time of this writing.
Academic Year in America is still looking for host families for students planning to arrive in August. Join in on the excitement and take the plunge! Visit AYA’s Website and register to become a host family for a few months or a full academic year. What are you waiting for?
An International Family 