Journey to Costa Rica: Gwen (Leonard) McNamara’s AFS Story
In this article, Gwen McNamara describes her journey to Costa Rica with AFS in 1974 and a recent reunion with her AFS family. I was 15 in November 1973 when…
Alumni Articles
Alumni Spotlight: Abby Verrando
In this article, Abby Verrando, a California high school student in her junior year, responds to a series of questions about her experience in the AFS Youth Ambassador Sustainability Program…
Why I Give to AFS-USA: An Interview with William (Bill) R. MacIntosh
Bill MacIntosh, an AFS-USA alumnus who participated in an exchange program to Brazil (Brasil in Portuguese) from 1964-1965, recently sat down with AFS-USA President and CEO Tara Hofmann to talk…
Janice Mills and an AFS 50th Year Reunion!
In this article, Janice Mills, an AFS-USA Alumna who went to Sweden with AFS in 1972, shares her experience during a 50 year reunion with her fellow AFSers! Janice was…
The Love Language of AFS
AFS programs have a magical way of bringing people together; across oceans, borders, languages, and cultures, participants often can’t help but fall in love with one another. Many AFS alumni…
Alumni Spotlight: Natalie Rhodes
In this article, Natalie Rhodes, an AFS-USA Alumna who went to Chile for one semester during her junior year of high school, responds to a series of questions about her…
An AFS Adventure to Austria in 1968!
This article is written by AFS-USA Alumnus Dave Schrader. Dave is currently an AFS Volunteer in the Greater Los Angeles and South Bay Chapter who is greatly involved with orientation…
An Interview with AFS Alumna, Amanda Sawyer (U.S. to Spain, 2018-19)
When Amanda first decided to study abroad, her main goal was to learn Spanish. What she didn’t realize was how much more she would discover about the world and herself.…
Young Alumni Reflections
For more than 75 years, AFSers like you have helped advance international awareness and cultural understanding while at the same time made the world a more just and peaceful place…
The Year That Changed My Life
My AFS journey began in the summer of 1996, when I went on an AFS year program in France.
AFS Families create global friendships that last a lifetime
Hosting sounded like an enjoyable experience with many benefits, so Jacque and her family said “yes!” This began an international friendship that would span 55 years.
Coming Home: An Interview with AFS Alum, Stephen Zhang (China to U.S., ’07-’08)
In high school, Stephen Zhang knew he was ready for something new. He wondered what it would be like to start a new life beyond the comforts of his routine…
6 lessons from the AFS Returnee who went to space
AFS Returnee Samantha Cristoforetti adjusts her Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit. Photo Credit: NASA For many AFS participants, studying abroad is the beginning of a lifelong international journey. For Italian…
Blog, Study Abroad Articles, Host Family Articles, Volunteer Articles, Educators Articles, Impact Articles, Alumni Articles
My Multigenerational AFS Family
It’s 2018 and I’m sitting in my grandmother’s sunny Ohio kitchen. We just went to two estate sales and are on our way to a quilting expo. She’s a consummate…