Meet Adele, one of our incredible Community Managers in Utah who brings warmth, heart, and years of experience to the Aspect team. With a background in fostering, adopting, and working with teens in her church, Adele has always had a passion for supporting young people. Since joining Aspect, she has built unforgettable connections with her students, many of whom still stay in touch today. In this spotlight, Adele shares how she got started, what supervising and hosting means to her, and the simple moments that make it all worthwhile.
I have always loved working with teens in my community and in my church. I’ve been a foster parent, peer parent, and I’ve adopted several children. I found myself an almost empty nester raising my newborn grandson and needed something to do for a little extra cash. I was referred to Aspect through a friend’s sister. I had no idea what I was in for.
My first year was challenging with a student with serious medical issues and two students going home early. However, it was the bond I made with those amazing kids that kept me here. That year, as students prepared to go home, we sat around the fire pit at my home and talked about how much we enjoyed the year and how our lives had changed. I’ll never forget that night or those first students who I am still in contact with today.
Some of my best memories are the trips I take with each group at the end of the year. I love seeing the bond the students create with each other and with their families. I love loading them in my big van and listening to them sing together as we head on down the highway. It’s the simple things that make the best memories!
I try to love the students as if they were my own kids. I love hosting too. I find that when I host I seem to have deeper connections with the students in my group. I talk about my hosting experiences a lot, and since I live in a small community, most everyone knows me and knows that I’m very passionate about the exchange program. They see my interactions with my foreign sons and daughters and it usually brings up great conversations about hosting.
Most people think that they need lots of time and money to host a student, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Students come to experience real American life, and what better way to show them than to just live as you normally would and include them in all of it. Sometimes it might be having cereal for dinner, sitting on the porch and watching it rain, having a water fight with the grandkids, or pulling weeds in the yard. Whatever your life is, if you can share your experiences and your love, that’s all a student needs. I have children and foreign friends all over the world. It’s one of the greatest treasures I have.
If I had any advice for new coordinators, it would be to just love the kids you’re trusted with. Try to look at problems that may arise as an opportunity for growth for both yourself and the student. Don’t get discouraged, but if you do, take a deep breath, think of the successes you have had, and the lives you have touched, and look forward to a new season and a new group.
Don’t compare yourself to other coordinators who may seem to do more or have more success. Be you. You have something unique and special to offer the students you will be supervising and they will love you just for loving them.
Know your limits too. Some coordinators can handle large groups and some are better with smaller groups. When you have a group that you can know each one on a personal level, then that’s the size that’s great for you. I like to believe that if I have made an impact on the students in my group, then I have achieved success.
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!
