Are you unsure about hosting an exchange student? Do you know someone who is on the fence? Today, we’re excited to feature David, a host dad from Wisconsin! Initially, David also had reservations about hosting, but now he can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to host! One of the many rewarding aspects is the chance to visit the students his family hosted in their home country, meeting their families and creating priceless memories. From sharing laughs to deepening bonds, he now even has a tribute tattoo dedicated to his exchange daughters. Read the story below!
Could you tell us why you were initially hesitant about hosting?
To be honest, I think it was mostly the time sacrifice because we already had three kids. I was just like, “Oh, it’s going to be more time and the bills are going to go up because of the food, and this and that.” But it actually didn’t make a difference at all. Our kids were still out and about anyway, so having to run and grab somebody from another spot – it just was not a thing after a while. Now, I even have a tattoo dedicated to my 4 host daughters. It’s sort of like an ‘eat my words’ thing. The tattoo says, “All the Sacrifices”.
What changed your mind?
I think it was reading the kids’ profiles and my wife Holley’s big thing was, “Oh, you know, we’ll get to go visit them someday!” And we actually did! We spent three weeks last summer in Europe, which was great. We saw all our exchange students and I loved every minute of it! I love having exchange students, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to have exchange students in their life! They’re so great, at least our experience has been with all of our 4 students so far. We now have family all over the world. We can call them up and be like, “Hey, we’re going to come over!” and they’ll put us up. They’re all great, friendly people and we never would change it.
Do you have advice for someone who is on the fence about hosting?
Just do it. It’s 100% awesome and it’s what you make it. If you want to have a good experience, if you want to be open with the kids, then you put in what you want out of it. If you want to take back something out of it, then it’s on you. If you put in 100%, you’re going to get back 100% from these kids, because they’re ultimately here to experience what it’s like to live in America.
We’re hosting our fourth student, Maxyn from Belgium, right now. Just go for it, welcome them with open arms, just like you would for any of your kids, because ultimately that’s what they become – an extension of your family. The saddest day is when they leave. I jokingly tell my wife, “Exchange students are the worst because they come in, become a part of your family and then they have to leave!” Each kid has their own special bond in my heart, and we still talk to them all the time.
What do you love about hosting?
Learning about the different cultures, and the different ways they do things in the different countries. The food as well! We’ve had a lot of girls who like to cook, so it’s nice because my wife and I also like to cook. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen and the students would often be in the kitchen with us, so we enjoy that. Each student has their own special thing and quirks, they’re all my favorite memories!
We met the family of our very first student, Nelle from Belgium, for the first time in New York. They’re like our extended family and we are theirs. It was great meeting her parents, they welcomed us with open arms and were thankful to us for giving their child the experience of a lifetime. So, it was hard to pay for anything! When we had dinners, I had to sneak my credit card to the hostess.
When we went to Sicily last summer and visited our third student, Eli from Italy, and her family, her dad was a payment ninja and took care of everything before we could! If anyone else took the trip we had taken, it would’ve cost way more because of the lodging, transportation, and food. We went everywhere with Eli and her family, who showed us around. The trip was amazing, an incredible experience. It was priceless, one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Are you interested in making a student a part of your family? We are looking for American host families to welcome a student for the upcoming 2024-25 school year! Check out the profiles of our wonderful students! New student profiles go online every Thursday!
