Meet Kristine, one of our amazing coordinators from Washington who’s been making a difference since 2016! Having placed more than 170 students with loving host families, Kristine is passionate about helping students feel supported and seen. In this spotlight, Kristine shares some of her favorite memories as a coordinator along with helpful tips for keeping students engaged and supported throughout the year. We’re so grateful to have her as part of the Aspect team!
What inspired you to become an International Coordinator?
I had many friends who were exchange students in high school, and I even helped a couple of them find new host families when their initial placements didn’t work out. I did this by asking families I knew who had provided babysitting services if they would be willing to help. I have always been very interested in different cultures and have had a desire to travel the world. This was an ideal part-time job for me. I always call it my fun job!
What’s your favorite memory while supervising?
One of my favorite memories is taking my students to Great Wolf Lodge each year for their Mid-Stay Orientation. Although it is a large and exhausting endeavor for me, the kids have so much fun bonding and they are always grateful for the opportunity to go.
I also really enjoy the annual International Thanksgiving event with all the students and host families in November. It is a wonderful experience to try various types of food and see the students take pride in their traditional dishes. I have fun with all the monthly activities and I love spending time with them as I watch them create lifelong friendships with people from many different countries!
Your Mid-Stay Orientations seem like such a blast for students. What’s your secret to planning them?
Each year, I organize a Mid-Stay Orientation for students at the Great Wolf Lodge. I start by determining how many students would like to stay overnight, then I book the necessary rooms, separating boys and girls and arranging for host parents to stay in the other rooms. It is like a big sleepover for the kids. They have so much fun in the water park, arcade, and just hanging out together. For those who do not wish to stay overnight, I offer the option to attend just the orientation during the day.
During the orientation, we engage in meaningful discussions to help students reflect on the first half of the year and strategize on how to finish strong in the second half. This last time, I tried something new by creating different common scenarios for the students to act out. We then discussed ways those situations could have been handled better and shared suggestions for a student in that scenario. This approach worked remarkably well. The students were engaged, and we had a lot of fun with it.
You joined Aspect in 2016 and have worked with over 170 students. That’s amazing! What advice would you give to a new coordinator just starting out?
Keep persevering! If you put in the effort, you will discover wonderful families to host. When supervising students, it is important to build relationships with the kids so they feel comfortable approaching you for support. I also recommend organizing monthly activities. This allows students to connect and helps you bond with them as well. Overall, while there may be challenging moments, the positive experiences will certainly outweigh the difficult ones.
Would you also like to work with students from across the world? Join the Aspect team as an International Coordinator! We are always looking for great candidates in many communities, large and small, across the U.S. For more information about the International Coordinator position and how to apply check out our website!
