When the Richards family welcomed Yufei, or Joy as her American friends and family have come to know her, from her home country of China in the fall of 2016, they met a shy and quiet girl. Joy entered the 11th grade at a private school in Davenport, Iowa, not knowing what to expect. She … Read More
Host families
Four Years and a Lasting Bond
When Xiaoyu, or Kevin, first arrived to the U.S. on the PSE program as an 8th grader, his host family had no idea that they would end up hosting him for the next three years. “I thought maybe we would host a student once, but after Kevin’s first year with us he was family. We … Read More
Trimester Student Finds Peace During Hurricane
Luca had never experienced anything even similar to a hurricane in her home town of Cologne, Germany. A PSE trimester program student attending high school in Ormond Beach, Florida, Luca experienced her first hurricane when Hurricane Irma hit the area she had been living with her host family in September. “At first I was very scared … Read More
From Only Child to Big Sister for 12 Weeks
Ela is a 16 year old girl from a small town in northwest Germany, where she lives with her parents, three dogs, two horses and cat. In March, she arrived to Rockford, IL, the second largest city in Illinois outside of Chicago, to a host family in which she gained three younger host siblings instantaneously. … Read More
Family Reflects on their Hosting Experience
Blue and Vicki Ornelas of Victorville, CA are no strangers to hosting international exchange students. Since 2008 they have hosted at least eight students from various parts of the world. “As a family we have always enjoyed meeting the kids and getting to know them. We have created lifelong relationships with all of the students … Read More