Meet Our Students

Meet Filip, he is a 14-year-old student from Poland. His family would describe him as a very open, confident, kind and helpful person with a big heart. He comes from a small family and is an only child. He has a dog and cat. He enjoys going out to a local park with his dog and playing board games like chess. Filip likes playing volleyball and soccer. At home, he helps with everyday chores. He loves music and also produces his own music. History is another one of his interests. He likes talking about history, watching videos, and going to museums, especially about WW2. Filip enjoys cooking, especially Polish and Italian dishes. He is into math and physics. He’s passionate about computers and space. In the future, he would like to go to college abroad and study math or computer science. He would like a career focused on making software for spaceships or create his own company based around the space industry. Would your family make the perfect home for this curious and outgoing boy?

Looking for a student that loves technology and cars? Hannah is the student for you! Hannah has an interest in technology, namely automotive engineering. She has built a small racing car out of two wooden boards, an engine and a metal rod. Currently she is working on a project controlling and programming small vehicles. In addition to technology Hannah has a love for animals. Her family pets include a dog, turtle, fish, rabbits and guinea pigs. Hannah also enjoys being active. She plays on a competitive handball team, and she especially loves her dog who goes on runs with her. Hannah is ready to dive into American culture and thanks your family in advance for welcoming her!

Please say hello to Zen, a girl from Thailand who describes herself as a friendly girl. She enjoys reading novels and comics, and says she really loves listening to all kinds of music. She loves sports, especially basketball and volleyball. She loves spending time with her family playing board games and horror movies. She feels especially close to her little brother; her family includes 3 boys and 2 girls, and she grew up with her little brother. She says that she excels at Math and Science. She says she enjoys spending time with her friends, but that spending time with her family is more important to her.

Blanche began her life swimming at a young age. She then began modern/contemporary dance for 11 years which complimented her love for music. As time continued on, she found her self-proclaimed passion in life thus far: horses. Blanche loves all animals, but her most favorite are cats, dogs and horses. Blanche loves spending time with horses in competitions or helping others learn about horses. She is known for her smile and joy of life. She enjoys traveling, walking, baking cookies, playing board games and sharing meals with her mother and little brother. Blanche spent time in Canada for 3 weeks living with a Canadian family with Japanese and Italian students. She loved every minute of the experience. Blanche also has experience playing guitar, babysitting and pet sitting. Get to know Blanche a little more by reading her host family letter!

Meet Elisa, who lives with her parents, sister, and dog in France. Elisa describes herself as motivated, dynamic, ambitious, and cheerful. She loves spending time with her family, and together they enjoy traveling, visiting museums, and going to the theater. After visiting NYC five years ago, Elisa just knew she wanted to come back to the United States as an exchange student. She enjoys school, with her favorite classes being math, physics, and technology. Her teachers find her serious and pleasant. When not studying, Elisa enjoys horseback riding, but also likes to dance and ski. She is also very passionate about scouting. Elisa looks forward to meeting you and is excited for her year of discovery in the United States!

Meet easy going and friendly Haoran from China. His favorite activity is playing basketball. From basketball he has learned from his failures and making progress, he enjoys being able to fight for a victory as this makes him very happy. Outside of sports Haoran enjoys music. He plays the erhu, learning to play the erhu has made him more confident and improved his musical skills. In his spare time with his family, they enjoy exercising and playing board games. Haoran is a studious young man, who is not only interested in China’s traditional culture but also foreign cultures. Haoran believes America has an amazing history, and he cannot wait to learn more about it this upcoming year as an exchange student.

Please meet Iris, a girl from the Netherlands who will be 17 years old when she arrives in the United States. She lives on a houseboat with her mother, older sister, and their cat. She says that living on a houseboat is common where she lives, due to the number of canals in the area. She enjoys spending time with her family. Her parents are separated, and her father lives on a mountain in northern Spain. Iris enjoys visiting him. She said she likes to play board games with her family, and they also go camping together. She likes arts and crafts and is learning to crochet. She is also learning to play the flute! Iris loves traveling and cannot wait to come to the United States!

Meet Mariyam a 15-year-old from Kazakhstan. She loves to walk and explore. She lives with her parents and brother and sister, who are very important to her. Trust and politeness are important to Mariyam, and she values these qualities in others. Her friends would describe Mariyam as kind, funny, responsible, hardworking and mature. In other words, independent. She sees herself as a well-rounded person. She loves trying new things and is really interested in trying photography and drumming. Mariyam enjoys sharing post on social media that include her poems and stories as she says it makes her feel free and as though her words and thoughts are important in such a big world. She is currently writing a fantasy book. She hopes to write books and make films based on them in the future. For the last 5 months Mariyam has been teaching children with disabilities. For Mariyam this is an incredibly valuable experience. She loves sharing her knowledge and getting to know the experiences of others. Mariyam looks forward to sharing Kazakh traditions, culture, literature, and cuisine with her American family.

Meet Klaudia, a winner of the prestigious FLEX scholarship! Klaudia is a girl that loves nature. Fishing, hiking, nighttime walks and cycling are all things she does with her family regularly. Klaudia also enjoys going to motorcycle meets and on rides, especially in the summer when the weather is nice and warm all day. In addition to being outside Klaudia says that books and music have a special place in her heart. She is ready to experience different things, be part of a different culture and meet new people. Hopefully make friendships that will last forever!

Meet Lourenco, a 17-year-old who lives with his parents, brother, and two sisters. He values his strong bond with his family and describes himself as friendly, helpful, and enjoys bringing laughter to others. Lourenco sees himself as intelligent and thrives on exploring new challenges and experiences. Passionate about sports like boxing, surfing, gym workouts, padel, and tennis, he also enjoys watching soccer. His aspirations include improving his English, expanding his social circle, and trying new activities in school to broaden his horizons. Lourenco is enthusiastic about sharing his culture and embracing the American way of life.