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

For this week’s Thank You Thursday, we share another round of thank you notes from some of our 21/22 students! This week we hear from Pedro from Brazil, Adita from Indonesia, Manuela from Italy and Sydney from France.

Pedro enjoying a trip to Snow Canyon State Park with his coordinator, Emily (light blue shirt) and the other students of his group

The people who I met are the best part of my exchange experience and to live like an American person getting the yellow movie bus, going to the football games and cheer with the student body. My host family is fun, and I love them! I’m so grateful, I’m gonna miss them so much! The people at my school are too kind, they are inclusive and respectful. I love that school! I am speechless to say how good my exchange experience was. It was amazing! I am so grateful for all of it! I loved all of it! Thanks for making me the best of myself!

– Pedro from Brazil staying with the Jessup family in Utah

Adita (on the right holding the Indonesian flag) happily smiling with her class during International Education Week after one of her presentations

I LOVE MY HOST FAMILY WITH MY WHOLE HEART. My host family is the best. They are just like me, we have a lot in common. I am not their best student but they’re the best for me. They taught me a lot, not only as a students but as a daughter. They didn’t know but they shaped me better, they make me learn about myself and life. Holidays, celebrations, birthdays, they really introduced me to Americans cultures. They will be the one that I ask if I have silly questions about what was happening around me, and they always have an answer. And also I never have siblings in my entire life, and now I have a host sister and I know how fun it is to have a siblings. This family taught me about everything, changed me to be a better person.

I LOVE MY SCHOOL SO MUCH. Diversity makes it even better place for me to learn. Tolerance, respect, and understanding make me feel safe. They make me feel like I belong to them and make me feel like we are family. They have wonderful teachers!! The enthusiasm to learn about other cultures make me more excited to tell them about my country and my culture. They taught me a lot of things. Homecoming, sports, clubs, assembly, prom, cafeteria concert, theaters are unforgettable memories that they gave to me. Friends, I can’t do anything fun without them, my school year will be so flat without them. I really love school, it’s my happy place same as my host family.

Thank you for all of these loves. My host family, teachers, friends, and everyone I met this year are the best story in my life. No words I can tell you to show how grateful I am to have you all in my life. My life is a blast because you are all on it! Love you so much and will always do!

– Adita from Indonesia staying with the Kohler family in Washington as part of the 2021/22 Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State

Manuela (on the very left) being welcomed by her host family at the airport

THANK YOU! Thank for everything you have done during this past year, thank you for opening the door of your house to a complete stranger. Thank you for supporting me everyday for everything I’ve done. It’s thanks to all you have done in this past year that made my exchange year an unforgettable chapter of my life. Thank you for everything!

– Manuela from Italy staying with the Tille family in Colorado

Sydney (on the very left wearing a dark green dress) excited for prom with her friends

My host family is like my real family to me. I wanna thank my host family for being the greatest and most understanding family. They made me feel like home as soon as I moved to their house and now I know how difficult it’s gonna be to leave them. They tried their best to show me things and I had so much fun adventures with them. I also want to thank my school because without it I wouldn’t know all the amazing people I’ve met. The school spirit was incredible, as well as some of my teachers who made me want to learn even more than I thought I would. I met such great people and even a week before leaving school I still am making new friends. This year was full of surprises, very emotional these past few weeks but I can’t wait to see some of my people again.

– Sydney from France staying with the Black family in Utah

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!