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2012-13 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The international students below need host families for the 2012-13 academic year!
Hosting is about sharing a family's version of the American lifestyle with a teenage exchange student for 9 months.* YFU host families agree to:
| Benefits of hosting:
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For more information about hosting or to start the host family application process, click here.
ONLY A FEW OF THE STUDENTS ARRIVING AUGUST 2012 (updated 4/06/12)
NOTE: Dept. of State regulations prohibit the posting of student photos to unvetted prospective host families.
To view photos and more detailed student information, please submit an online application.
Looking for a certain type of student? Gender? Country? Interest? Let us know - we'll search for you!
NOTE: Dept. of State regulations prohibit the posting of student photos to unvetted prospective host families.
To view photos and more detailed student information, please submit an online application.
Looking for a certain type of student? Gender? Country? Interest? Let us know - we'll search for you!
The Girls:
Laura from Vienna, Austria
16 year old Female An active girl, Laura loves to do hip-hop and temporal dance. She also likes to play badminton and tennis, go jogging, and do gymnastics. With her friends she enjoys shopping and cooking. She says she likes to sing, but only in the shower. Laura likes to cook and travel with her family when they get a chance. Her favorite classes are English and German because she loves to be able to communicate with people. Her teachers say she is extremely sociable and gets along well with everyone, she respects authority, is supportive to other students, mature, reliable, responsible, smiles a lot and has a great sense of humor. At home, Laura's responsibilities are to learn, clean her room and help with the housework. Her mother is from Spain, so they go there quite frequently and she is bilingual with German and Spanish. Her mother comes from a large family that is still in Spain. While she is willing to live with indoor pets, she prefers they are not in her bedroom. Janine from Morges , Switzerland 15 year old Female Janine is very motivated to meet a new family and experience a foreign culture, learn English, make new friends and go to a new school. She went on a summer exchange to England last year and enjoyed making new friends and new experiences. Janine is from a very small family (her father died when she was 4 years old), so she would like to have host siblings if possible. At school, she takes some extra classes which are offered - Italian and a drawing class. Her outside activities include babysitting for spending money, and volunteering for the Red Cross. She also enjoys horseback riding, and bikes to a stable where she rides, as well as helps with the feeding and care of the horses. Janine hopes to be able to try some new sports, and continue horse back riding if possible. She is described as honest, trustworthy, talkative, curious and active. Janine says "I thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to spend a year in your family." Juni from Bontane, Indonesia 16 year old Female Juni's name means June in English – her birth month! She comes from a small, clean city in Indonesia near the sea. Juni lives with her parents, younger brother and older sister. When they get family time together they often gather in the living room for TV or talking. The family sometimes takes short trips, and she particularly enjoyed a trip with her sister to an amusement park. Juni loves reading (author Dan Brown, series Molly Moon and Harry Potter are favorites,) movies, listening to music, bicycling and jogging. She also enjoys meeting new people, making friends, and making people laugh. One thing Juni is looking forward to is educating people in the USA about Indonesia customs and religions, and then taking back what she learns about in the USA to people back in Indonesia. She says, “Well, maybe I can't change Indonesia at all, but at least I can make differences that will help other people.” She would like to work in journalism and has a special interest in the company Google. Are you ready to find out more about Juni? She is excited and says, “I can't wait to meet you at America, my family!” JUNI IS A YES SCHOLARSHIP WINNER. Annelie from Teterow, Germany 15 year old Female Annelie, who goes by Anni, has always had the desire to become a physician! At school (at which she excels) her favorite subjects include biology, math, astronomy, English and French. She often represents her school in various competitions and describes herself as happy, friendly, adventurous, polite, confident, helpful, flexible, reliable and ambitious. Anni dances ballet and also enjoys volleyball, handball, tennis and hockey. Her and her father (she lives with her parents and younger sister) often go swimming and jogging together. On weekends, Anni might do some homework, help out at home or do something with her family or friends. In the evening the family might have dinner or barbeque and then watch some relaxing TV together. Anni hasn't decided for sure yet whether she wants to live in Germany or in another country but she often dreams of living in the US one day and says, “this will happen soon, first as an exchange student in your family and maybe later with my own family.” Do you see Anni fitting into your family? Find out more about her! Frederike from Berlin, Germany 16 year old Female Having a positive attitude and confident disposition give Frederike (16) a great outlook on life. Growing up in Germany with her parents and younger sister, she has a good relationship with them and considers her sister one of her best friends. Being active in sports is important for Rike and she knows that handball isn't popular in the US, so she is looking forward to learning a new sport. This past year Rike has learned how to play the guitar. Cross-country and downhill skiing, canoeing, biking, traveling, shopping and meeting with friends are some activities that keep Rike busy when not in school. Rike is looking forward to seeing what the American school spirit is all about. She is open to having one or more sibling or being an 'only child' - it doesn't matter to Rike, she is open to the special family that will meet her at the airport! Makiko from Urasoe-City, Japan 17 year old Female Makiko - or Makko - is highly regarded by her teachers, who say she is at the top of her class. She plans to become a high school English teacher, so is anticipating improving her speaking abilities while in the US. Makko says she loves her family very much and appreciates that they have made it possible for her dream of being an exchange student to come true. She and her family, which includes an older sister, like to travel and sightsee, especially going on day trips around Japan. She likes to bowl, jog and especially play and watch basketball - she belongs to the basketball team at her school. Makko also likes to cook and is looking forward to making delicious meals for her Host Family. She has a few anxieties about her year in the US, but she also has very high expectations and is looking forward to meeting and becoming a member of her Host Family. Saya from Waki - Cho Kuga - Gun, Japan 16 year old Female Saya's hobbies are listening to music, watching movies, shopping, talking, dancing and more. Saya, who lives with her parents and older brother, is part of a dance team in her hometown and would like to continue dance while on exchange if that is possible. Her goal is to be a translator and she says she loves English so much “because it is so awesome and it can be the greatest tool to talk to people all over the world.” Saya says she is good at getting along with anyone and that she can cheer you up with her smile. He family is made up four people and her dog. She calls her father funny, her mother kind, her brother a soccer enthusiast, and her dog so cute. She would like to study English and everything that she can't study in Japan while she is here, and she wants to discover her potential as much as she can. Why not find out more about Saya and consider her for your family? Artinuch from Bangkok, Thailand 15 year old Female A remarkable Thai student, Artinuch loves spending time with family, enjoys school and hopes to be a doctor one day. An only child, she lives with both parents, grand parents and a lovely dog. Artinuch is very close with her parents and loves to cook with her mother. She also spends time with her parents going to sightsee, eating out on weekends and taking day trips once a month. Artinuch is really hoping for a warm, caring host family, with a brother or sister, who lives in a small town. A very good student, Arthinuch is described by her teacher as one of her favorite students because she’s a very dedicated student with a positive attitude. When she isn’t studying, Artinuch has a passion for tennis and playing the piano. She would really like to continue these activities in the USA. When not playing tennis, piano, or being a competitive student, she enjoys photography, art and girl scouts. Her medical career goals are not only for herself, but also help the poor who may not have access to doctors. What a wonderful dream! Lone from Vinterbro, Norway 16 year old Female Having a love of meeting new people, while experiencing new cultures and countries, Lone is excited about her upcoming year in America. As Norway has lots of mountains and woods, Lone's favorite season is winter, but she loves being outside any time of year with her friends, or walking her dog in the woods. Being very family-oriented, she adores spending time with her parents and younger brother. Lone's passion is drawing and design, as a subject in school or in the evening when she is talking with friends via skype. This is when she is most creative. She plays bass clarinet in the school band, and guitar, and loves to listen to music. On weekends, Lone enjoys sleeping late, and then spending time with her family going to museums or movies, or simply hanging out with friends or having a sleepover. Friends consider her to be honest, open, and loyal. Her parents state that Lone adapts easily to new situations, is generally even tempered, sometimes a bit reserved at first around adults, but quickly warms up. During her exchange year, Lone expects to improve her English and make new friends, and hopes to experience new traditions and holidays. She thanks you for giving her this opportunity and is excited to meet you. Siiri from Espoo, Finland 16 year old Female Even though Siiri spent 2007-08 in America going to an American school, she realizes that living with an American family and being in high school will make the experience far different from living with her own family. She hopes to continue mathematics and languages which she feels will help her when she goes into business. She also enjoys chemistry and art. Although, she is not particularly talented at art, she likes to dabble in drawing, painting and photography. She helps with cooking the meals at home, but admits that she is not a cook. She enjoys lasagna and home-cooked pizza, if someone else makes it. Siiri, does enjoy physical fitness and goes several times a week to classes in spinning with her next older sister. Siiri is very social and enjoys being with friends even if just for a cup of coffee and some talk. Although her parents work long hours, she knows that they are always there for her. Karlien from Meise, Belgium 17 year old Female Lights! Camera! Action! Karlien is a born actor from Belgium. She has been studying theater for several years and is passionate about drama! In addition to theater arts, Karlien likes sports, such as gymnastics and dancing, which is an emotional outlet for her. An intelligent and industrious pupil, Karlien is eager to learn. She enjoys learning languages and mathematics; she hopes to use languages in her future career – maybe she’ll be a language teacher? Karlien wants to be an exchange student because she cannot think of a better way to learn about cultures and pick up insights into character and life! She loves meeting new people, can’t wait to meet her American family and participate in your community or school theater program! Thanyalak from Phaya Thai, Ratchathewee, Thailand 15 year old Female Thanyalak from Thailand is 15 years old and ready to begin a long lasting friendship with her host family. This cheerful girl has an intriguing nickname; “Milk.” Everyone feels happy around Milk. She is popular at school because of her optimistic attitude and good sense of humor. Teachers describe her as helpful, cooperative and wholehearted. As an influential leader at school, Milk works with the Self Discover Club to conserve nature and improve impoverished areas of the city. Perhaps this civic involvement will help her achieve a career goal to be a Prosecutor. In the meantime, Milk will continue helping at home where she is responsible for some of the housework, doing her own laundry and cleaning her own room. Milk often cooks family dinners with her mother. Together the family makes holiday visits to her grandparent’s beach home. Some of their favorite family activities are watching movies, riding bikes, and playing badminton. Occasionally, she plays piano. Milk is an active girl who likes ice skating, jogging, bicycling and swimming. In America, Milk wants to learn new sports. Milk attends one of the best schools in Thailand. She enjoys studying language the most because it gives her more knowledge for a challenging world. She has studied English, her favorite language, for 10 years but also studied Chinese for 5 years and is just beginning to study German. Milk participated in a homestay program where she spent a week with a Chinese family. From this experience, she learned new cultures and traditions. Now she is ready for more similar experiences with your family in the USA. Lea from Tostedt, Germany 16 year old Female From Germany Lea (16) enjoys being a youth leader in her church - organizing meetings and events. She is a friendly, light-hearted girl who sometimes falls into fits of laughter when hanging with her girl friends. Her favorite subjects in school are the Arts because she loves photography, Dance because she loves jazz and hip-hop, and Biology because she finds it interesting. She would like to use her interest in photography for a career in advertising and marketing. She has traveled throughout Europe, but loves to spend time at the seaside of the Mediterranean - any country will do. But also loves the mountains for skiing in the wintertime. At home, she takes care of her own room and does her own ironing and helps take care of the family dog. She is curious about how Americans and their daily lives, where they live, what their preferences are, and, of course, how the school system works. She is looking forward to learn, see and live the "new" family life. Karen from Hamburg, Germany 15 year old Female Karen, an active and outgoing young lady, loves to play tennis, whether it's with her parents or with friends. Open-minded and helpful, she balances her love of sports (she's also studied karate) with a with a keen interest in history, philosophy and political science. A member of the "media scouts" at school, where she helps advise fellow students about the use of modern social media, Karen hopes to one day pursue a career in journalism, or possibly economics. A good student with very good English language skills, she says "I'm very curious about the differences between the German and American school system." She's very fond of her dog, Bonny, and adds "I love animals, at least most of them, but I don't like spiders, snakes and animals like this!" Her experience with a short summer exchange program to the United Kingdom last year has her fired up about becoming an exchange student, and she can't wait to become a part of her new American host family. The ball's in your court, America! Ririka from Yonabaru-Cho, Japan 16 year old Female "Thank you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity," says Ririka, or Leely, a 16-year old honest and polite girl from Japan. An excellent student, Leely's teacher state that she communicates well with her fellow students and excels in everything she does. Her favorite subjects in school are Japanese because she loves to learn about the Japanese classics and history because she likes learning about the history of other countries. Leely would someday like to be a doctor. Outside of school, Leely is very active with her family and participates in badminton, swimming and really enjoys jogging in a park near her home. To relax, Leely likes to read about modern fiction, fantasy stories, historical books, and has most recently started to read newspapers in English. Please select Leely to have an opportunity to be part of your family! | The Boys:
Ramon from Rothenburg, Switzerland
15 year old Male Ramon is an active, sporty guy who plays table tennis, skis and hikes - but he also is interested in trying new sports while in the US. He and his family enjoy outdoor activities such as tenting when they go on vacation. Ramon is a group leader in Pro Natura, a group that teaches young people to protect nature. He also belongs to Friends of Nature as well as the table tennis and archeology clubs at school. Ramon plays the piano and guitar and hopes to continue both piano and skiing while on program. Family and friends are important and - besides sports activities - Ramon says they like to play board games, especially ones based on strategy. Ramon enjoys learning about other cultures and says he chose the US because he is interested in experiencing the mix created by the many immigrant cultures that have formed this country. He is used to helping around the house and can cook some Swiss meals as well. Ramon says he is "happy to come to your family". Loeiz from Ploufrangan, France 16 year old Male How's your backhand? Loeiz loves to play tennis! He is also into soccer, but tennis is his main sport and he would like to be able to continue to play it in the US. With his family he likes to sail, jog, travel, play tennis, and bake cakes. With his friends he plays table tennis, badminton, soccer and watches movies. In his spare time, Loeiz likes to read, listen to music and he is learning how to kiteboard. He also plays the saxophone. After college, he would like to get work in an international institution or get into international commerce. He has excellent grades and really enjoys foreign languages, so that should be no problem for him. His responsibilities at home are to help in the kitchen and garden and take care of the cat. His teachers say he is well-behaved, open-minded, hard-working, reliable, good-humored, and participates eagerly in class. Loeiz thanks you for considering him. Runkai from Pudong, China 16 year old Male A well rounded, warm-hearted young man, Runkai promises to do his best “to be a good brother and a good son”. “Kevin”, as he is called, enjoys playing basketball, dancing and singing. His friendly and enthusiastic nature led him to become a team leader for both his basketball and Korean dance team. He also participates in his school choir and hopes to become a famous singer in the future. Understanding this career path may be difficult, he plans to study films and media to eventually become an actor or film director. Kevin’s teacher states that he puts a lot of effort into his homework and is very thorough. Of his personality, he is described as independent, social, curious, open minded and adaptable which assists him in his positive interactions with adults and peers. Kevin traveled to the USA earlier this year and states, “I was fascinated by the different culture and enthusiastic people in the US.” This made his choice to be a part of an American family. His family is very important to him. Stating “I like doing housework with family members,” Kevin enjoys cooking dinner with his family, keeps his room neat, waters the flowers in the garden and feeds the fish. Of course, he also enjoys playing basketball with them. Kevin has a fear of large dogs but is willing to live with smaller pets that are not in his bedroom. He is anxious to immerse himself in the American culture and become a positive addition to your family. Iruru from Nashihara City, Japan 16 year old Male Iruru lives with his parents and two dogs, Jeantea and Doby. He and his family enjoy movies and shopping together and once a year takes a travel vacation. His family has hosted students from America, Indonesia, Finland, and Brazil for two week stays and this has helped teach him culture from other countries as well as given him the opportunity to share his own culture. Iruru helps out at home by keeping his own room clean and helping wash the dishes after dinner. At school, Iruru is most interested in mathematics because it is like a puzzle to him and his future dream is to be an air traffic controller. He volunteers by helping clean up at the school in the morning. For sports, Iruru enjoys swimming and karate. Does someone in your family play electric guitar? Well, Iruru will cover the bass tracks as he particularly enjoys electric bass. Imagine the music he and your family could make together! He plays piano as well and enjoys studying computer programming, watching Japanese animation, and playing a Japanese chess called “GO.” He has won the team competition of the “GO” tournament with the club he is part of. There is much more to learn about Iruru, are you ready to find out more? Levente from Budakeszi, Hungary 15 year old Male Meet Levi! This funny and kind boy loves being active. He plays ice hockey and volleyball and likes to go skiing. If there's a chance to play ice hockey or go skiing with his future host family, that would be appreciated. Levi is a family oriented kid. They play a lot of games together, go to the mall and to the cinema. His sister Noemi is now older and the two can now engage in the same activities. His younger sister is only 3 months old. Levi admits that he can be lazy but does help around the house: he takes the dog out for walks, mows the lawn and keeps his room clean. While his parents are separated, he sees his dad almost daily. His family is part of the Desperado Club which has about 10 families and they organize day trips, go skiing and travel during the summer. For Levi, it was important to get into his high school because of its programs and reputation. He adapted well to a new class and his teacher pointed out how well he works with his class mates. Levi is mature and realizes that he has to take some boring classes. Biology and chemistry are his favorite subjects and he could foresee a career as a doctor, though this may change. On the weekends, he normally studies and meets his friends. For Levi, his friends are very important to him. They are joking around and playing games on PlayStation. Levi has traveled to various European places and visited his relatives in Western Canada. Levis is open to new experiences and impressions. He wants to see and understand how others live and think. He’s a friendly and sporty boy who’s open for everything. Will you be able to show Levi your part of the US and the American family life? Jannik from Gielow, Germany 15 year old Male Do you march to the beat of a different drummer? Not Jannik, a cheerful, enthusiastic, and self-confident 15-year old boy from Germany who has played the drums for over 7 years. Jannik is a real music fan and plays in his own rock band with 3 other friends practicing frequently and playing at events. Also in his free time, he likes to spend time riding his bike and playing badminton and soccer. He also likes attending soccer matches as a fan. Jannik has a high English proficiency and is a very good student at school. At home, Jannik spends time taking care of his 6 year old sister, feeding his 2 rabbits, and completing chores for his parents. Jannik's older sister has recently spent a half a year in France on exchange and has told him that going on exchange is a chance never to be missed. Jannik says to you, " I look forward to meeting you." Philipp from Berlin, Germany 16 year old Male For Philipp the world holds an endless variety of fascinations. Whether it's indulging his love of team sports, having a good discussion about politics and the world, hanging out playing games like foosball with his friends, or reading the daily newspaper, this open-minded and adaptable young man sees a world of possibilities. Philipp has already experienced two short exchange programs, one to the United Kingdom and another to France, so he has some idea of the challenges that await him during his year in the USA. With those experiences under his belt, and having recently moved with his family from a small town to a major city, Philipp has learned to quickly adapt to new situations. In school he lists political science and history as his favorite subject, because this excellent student wants to understand and get involved with social issues. Philipp gets along well with his parents and younger sister, and enjoys the time he spends with his extended family. He's willing to try new experiences while on exchange and looks forward to experiencing first hand all that America has to offer. |