Round two! Following up on Part One, our 2024-25 students have more fun tips and ideas to help our 2025-26 exchange students explore, connect, and make their exchange year truly amazing. From trying new activities to saying yes to opportunities, these tips will help students make the most of every moment! Don’t hesitate to ask … Continue reading
Few moments compare to the excited, anxious, joyful feeling of when our exchange students step off the plane and meet the people they’ll begin to call family! Being welcomed by warm, heartfelt and even silly signs eases the tension and allows the first words and hugs to be exchanged. Even after hours of travel, those … Continue reading
Last chance to be a part of our Annual Photo and Video Contest! 📸 Submissions will close this Monday, September 29th at 11:59 pm. If you haven’t already, here is how you can submit a photo or video: woobox.com/unqsyt Good luck, and share with family and friends to gather the most votes! 🗳️ Are you interested … Continue reading
Now that our 2025-26 exchange students are settling in, it’s the perfect time to share advice from the 2024-25 students. Their tips are packed with fun ideas and helpful reminders to make your exchange year unforgettable. Stay tuned for Part Two! Don’t overthink small details. Make the friends you can and make the best of … Continue reading
As many of our exchange students begin settling into their communities, it’s the perfect time to hear from Mia, who spent her 2024–25 school year in Italy. She shares her top advice for students as they start this life-changing experience. You can read more about her journey here in My Time as an American Exchange … Continue reading
As we welcome our new exchange students for the 2025–26 school year, we also want to take a moment to look back and share one last sweet reflection from last year. Angelina from Germany spent her 2024-25 exchange year in Utah with her host family. Before heading home, she wrote this heartfelt thank-you letter to … Continue reading
Today we hear from Holley, a host mom and International Coordinator in Wisconsin, who recently reunited with several of her former exchange students in Europe. She and her family traveled through France, Italy, and Switzerland, sharing meals, birthdays, and everyday moments with her former students and their families. As Holley says, “life is better with … Continue reading
Every rescued life tells a story of hope and new beginnings. Today we hear from John, the founder of Emery Cat Rescue, about Ferb, a cat who found a second chance at life. Stacey and her family were fostering Ferb and hosting Liséa from France during the 2024–25 school year, and Liséa quickly bonded with … Continue reading
Rachel and her family were hosting Pietro from Italy for the 2024–25 school year when, just three months in, she learned she would need open brain surgery before Christmas. She and her husband gave Pietro the choice to stay or move to another host family, and he chose to stay. His optimism and kindness reminded … Continue reading
Today we hear from Sarah from France, who spent the 2018-2019 school year as an exchange student in Texas. Now, seven years later, she’s back visiting her American host family and friends. Sarah shares how her exchange experience helped shape her future, opened new opportunities, and led her to where she is today, all thanks … Continue reading