Thank You Thursday – 2021/22 End-of-Year Edition

We absolutely love the fact that those thank you notes keep coming in! For this week’s Thank You Thursday, we hear from Anna from France, Alejandra from Spain, Fiona from the Netherlands and Edouard from Belgium who all had a fantastic time with their American families during the 21/22 school year.

Alessia from Italy, Filippo from Italy, and Anna from France (right) having fun at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ

I had the best family ever. I’m so thankful for all of them, and I couldn’t ask for more. They made my American dream come true. They are so wonderful, loving, welcoming, and understanding. I will cherish forever the bond I created with the 4 of them. I will definitively stay in contact with them, and we already planned to visit each other in a year/a couple year. I wouldn’t change the year I have with them for nothing.

– Anna from France staying with the Jirovec family in Arizona

Alejandra (wearing a blue shirt in the middle row) striking a pose with the other exchange students in her group

I love my family so much. They are like family for me. They treat me as if we have known each other for years. They are really sweet. Thank you for accepting me as if I was one of you, for giving me food and a home. Thank you for not judging me even when I was doing it myself and for listening to me whenever I needed to talk. Thank you for giving me the chance of changing and improving as a person. Thanks to all of you I’m better now, happier. Thank you!

– Alejandra from Spain staying with the Freeman family in Utah

Fiona (in the middle wearing a skirt) having fun with the girls of her exchange group during orientation

Dear Host Family, Thank you for this year! It has been incredible. I wouldn’t have wanted any other family or place to have spent this year. Before I went I had some doubts, but as soon as I arrived here my worries went away. You are always ready to help me, to have fun with me, to listen to me. Whenever I tell about my culture you pay attention, when I want to show you something you make sure I have the right materials. We did so many fun trips, it is hard to pick what was the best about this year. I guess we’ll need to make some more fun memories to add to that list 😉 Love, Fiona

– Fiona from the Netherlands staying with the Lowery family in Washington

Edouard (left) with his host parents (wearing red and blue shirt) next to their flying scot sailboat!

I couldn’t have dreamed about a better host family. We have traveled so much, spent a lot of time together. We did a bunch of fun activities and a lot of sailing. They taught a lot of new things too. Thank you so much to be one of the major actors of my exchange student year. It was an awesome year for me. I made the most of it. Without you I don’t think it wouldn’t have happened like that. I’m a better version of myself right now and I will keep going with that. Thank you again for teaching new things and showing places. My exchange year was just the best decisions I ever made. It is a new who really build me and I discovered a new face of myself. My true self.

– Edouard from Belgium staying with the Bowling family in Illinois

Are you interested in making a student part of your family this upcoming school year? We are still looking for wonderful American host families to welcome a student in the fall! Check out the profiles of our amazing 2022/23 students!