We’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on Dani from the Netherlands, who is spending his 2024-25 school year in Utah! From stepping out of his comfort zone to join the choir to spending quality time with his host family, Dani is creating memories he’ll never forget. He’s fully immersing himself in American holidays and traditions, finding joy in every celebration with his host family. Dani is truly embracing everything his exchange year has to offer, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for him!
Why did you want to become an exchange student?
I decided I wanted to do an exchange year in America when I heard my best friend was planning to do an exchange after school. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to visit the U.S., mostly because of the movies and shows I loved watching. The football games, Homecoming, and getting picked up by a yellow school bus all seemed so exciting. Ever since that day at school, I set my mind to it. When I finally asked my parents, I had a whole plan prepared, and even showed them how much I would save up myself. That’s probably what sold the deal to them, so no regrets!
Tell us about your life in America with your host family!
I was very nervous to meet my host family. I was overthinking every possible thing that could go wrong. Because what if they don’t like me? What if I don’t like them? Luckily, none of my overthinking was necessary, and I hit it off with them since day one. My host family is made of a father, a mother, an older sister, and two younger brothers. I have made a good bond with each individual family member, and we all have something to bond over.
With my host mom, it’s music — I introduced her to my favorite artist, and she likes them just as much as I do, and I like her recommendations too. With my host dad, I like to stay busy, so we fix stuff around the house. We even fixed a car that was broken for half a year. My host sister and I share the same humor and crack each other up every single day. With my host brothers, I share a room with one of them, and we always have talks before going to sleep, where we have really come to know each other. With my other host brother, we always take a trip to a nearby gas station to get snacks and talk for hours, which has become something we both look forward to. When I started the exchange program, I always heard people saying it’s like meeting a second family. I wasn’t really sure how accurate that was, but now I can safely say it’s 100% true.
How are you liking America so far? What has it been like to celebrate holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving?
Celebrating new holidays was something I was really looking forward to. It is a very fun way of experiencing one’s culture. I celebrated Halloween with my host mom, host sister, and a friend of hers. I wore a matching costume with my host sister where she was Coraline and I was Wybie. Before we went trick-or-treating, I got the chance to open the door for the neighbors with my host dad, and we watched one of his favorite movies while waiting.
We went trick-or-treating, saw the funniest costumes, had a lot of fun, and a lot of candy. Halloween is great fun! Celebrating Thanksgiving was also very new. It meant having a great meal with family members I didn’t really know. I was nervous, but I learned they are more than happy to share their food and are honored to have more guests. I had great talks with them, played games, and had the best meal. Everyone was very welcoming and nothing but nice to me.
America has been a dream ever since my plane landed here. I chose America because it had been a lifelong dream of mine to experience the American dream, and it has not disappointed me. The sunsets in the morning will never get old, the view of the mountains around me will always be amazing, and I will never forget the memories I’ve made here. At the football game I went to, I barely understood what was happening, but the food was great, and I had a good time. The school trips I went on in the iconic yellow school bus and the road trips I took were unforgettable. I can’t choose a favorite memory. Every day has had something worth remembering, and I’ve made countless great memories with everyone I’ve met, including family and friends.
Have you joined any clubs or sports?
I joined the choir at my school. I have always liked to sing but never really did it in public or with anyone around. Choir sounded new and fun, but I wasn’t sure if it was really my thing. I decided to audition and let the teacher decide if it was the right fit for me. I got in, and that’s how it all started. I made lots of friends in the choir, with whom I now share great laughs and memories. There were times we had to stay after school for a concert and then would go to a 7/11, the fun we had backstage at one of our concerts, and the most special memory of all — the ones we made on our trip to Hawaii.
We were invited to sing at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade and on the original USS Missouri. It was such an honor to sing in front of all the veterans and to honor them for their service. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I am forever thankful I not only got to be there but got to be there with my friends by my side. We toured USS Missouri first and then performed on the ship. This performance was my favorite of the two because we did more songs, and I had a solo. We sang songs like Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and Over the Rainbow, and I had a solo in God Bless the USA. It was unreal standing on the ship with the view of Hawaii behind us and hearing the applause of the crowd.
Then came the parade performance. We sang with some other choirs at the opening ceremony and then walked in the parade. Walking in the parade made us all feel famous, with thousands of people watching online and standing on the sidelines cheering us on. It gave us so much spirit, and we had the best night ever.
What advice would you offer to someone considering becoming an exchange student?
Make the most of it! I try to say yes to every new opportunity, and even though not everything I’ve tried has been amazing, trying is always worth it. So go and try something you haven’t done before—just like singing in the choir—you never know what or where it will bring you. 🙂
Are you interested in making a student like Dani a part of your family? We are looking for American host families to welcome a student for the upcoming 2025-26 school year! Check out the profiles of our wonderful students! New profiles go online every Thursday!
