When Chris M. and his family from decided to host an AFS Exchange Student, they were inspired by their own positive experiences learning about other cultures abroad. Chris says, “We wanted to give students the opportunity to see things in America and look at the world through our glasses.”
Of his time with his current exchange student, Adriana from Germany, Chris recalls making “20 million memories, the greatest of which is life.” These memories are made up of perhaps seemingly-insignificant details that all add up, like daily conversations on the way to school and over coffee on the weekends. Chris says he has especially enjoyed “watching her face light up and smile as she drank in every new experience.”
He and his wife agree that they’ll always see Adriana as one of their daughters. Chris explains that with an exchange student, you have the opportunity to “put them into your family as though they were born there, and it will feel like they were.”
Now, as he and his family near the end of their time with Adriana, he says something we hear from a lot of AFS Host Families: “We never knew we could love a person who was not of our own blood as much as we love her.” Thanks to Adriana and the other international high schoolers they’ve met, Chris and his wife have come to appreciate “how many lovely, wonderful people there are in each country in the world.”
To bring this transformational experience to your family, let us know you’re ready to get started. A local AFS representative will be in touch to answer any questions you have and let you know about families and schools currently hosting in your area. In the meantime, click the button below to see the students arriving this fall: