Have you
ever wondered why in the world people open their homes to complete strangers in
the name of education? In this blog post I’ll be sharing my top 5 reasons why to
host an exchange student. If you'd like to watch the YouTube video of this post, click below!
My name is Jenni Black
with Host Family, Exchange Student Life where we help you get ready for, spend
time with and say goodbye to each other, along with agency and coordinator
relations to help YOU have an extraordinary time.
On this blog, we help
navigate through real life hosting and exchanging though informational content,
vlogs and interviews, and videos.
Let’s get extraordinary!
So there are many reasons why people
host an international student. According to the US Department of homeland
security, there are over a million students ranging from Kindergarten to
University level who come to study here or as a cultural exchange. And
depending on the state you live in, there are some slices of that pie chart who
need you and me to make it possible. Now, maybe you’ve never heard of hosting,
or you're researching it, maybe you have a student coming, or even already have a
student. Either way and wherever you live in the world, here are my top 5
reasons to host a foreign exchange student.
Reason number 5. You like
adventure! And with hosting, you get it from the comfort of your own home. If
you are a person who likes to shake things up a bit and do things out of the
ordinary. This is perfect! Hosting gives you the chance to see your everyday life;
the places you go, the people you see, with fresh eyes. Everything from how to
use your washing machine properly, to what you eat, to the sights your area has
to offer. Hosting is an adventure and it’s made for you and me.
Reason number 4. The culture. I
love my home country. Across the United States we have a culture that binds us
and also cultures that make living in New York, California, North Dakota to Florida
varied experiences. Most exchange students are eager to experience our culture and to share what
they love about theirs. When we hang out with our students or talk at dinner, there’s
a myriad of subjects to discuss. Like, how we feel about the current or past
political climate? What their hometown city’s like? Differences in education
systems? Common foods and family traditions. My kid’s favorite topics center
around their holidays and how they celebrate them. We celebrate lots of
holidays in the home. And then there are countless, fun random things like: in
Europe, the yogurt cup that tapers in near the top is set upside down from the way we use it. Which makes sense to me…it’s easier to
get the yogurt out :) Culture sharing is fun and eye-opening. In the end it
teaches us to respect differences in this big, big, small world, and makes us
all more understanding and well-rounded human beings.
My Christmas wish is world peace. I have a necklace to remind me Now it may not seem
monumental or globally impactful, but when you provide an positive experience
for an international student, how does it reflect on our country? Positive,
right? For reason number 3, I believe that world peace begins in each person’s
home. Starting with yourself and the people you share home with. When you host,
beyond the basic room, board and transportation you give, you’re providing a
student with care and guidance that will affect them though their whole life.
Hey, in our home we’re real human beings here, but I do admit, when we’re hosting
students, we treat each other a bit better because somebody’s watching, and I
think that’s a win-win for peace.
Another
reason to host, is simply that you have space in your heart and in your home.
Maybe the adventure doesn’t call to you or the global repercussions, but you
have an extra bed or room and have a caring heart. This could be in your homebody
comfort zone. Truly, this reason is the most basic of becoming a host parent. And
from what I’ve seen, having space in your heart and home is enough to give hosting
a try.
Finally,
reason number 1. Humans are awesome! Humans are cool, right?
Now people, people. People, persons. Purple people eaters-no... Persons perfectly
prepared to play a part in providing provisions and place possess the power to
impact, experience and extrapolate the splendors of the species. Yes! Whether
you’re an extrovert and get your charge off of human interaction, or an extroverted
introvert (like me) who finds hosting satisfying. Or, a full on introvert,
consider this a practically perfect reason. I personally love getting to know
each of our students. There are similarities of course in the age groups, but, personalities, talents, goals and dreams are different. It’s a very pivotal
time in their lives you get to be a part of it. Because humans are just cool!
And if you host, that automatically makes you cool, too. Even if you don’t host,
you’re still cool. Cuz’ you’re a human!
So there you
have my top 5 reasons to host an exchange student. Adventure! Culture! World Peace! Space!
And Coolness!
The Question
of the day? Which reason do you most connect with? Or is there another reason
you feel should be included? Leave that in the comments below, I look forward
to reading them.
Until our
next adventure, Host Family, Exchange Student Life is helping you navigate through
real life hosting and exchanging to help you create an extraordinary experience.
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