Exchange Students in Alaska
Contributed by Jessie Wetherell
ALL ALASKANS - Every year students come from all over the world to study here in the United States. Their dream is to have a host family that loves them while experiencing everything American high school has to offer. These students are teenage boys and girls, aged 16-18, and they arrive in August for the entirety of the school year. While each individual student is unique and will steal your heart, the people that truly make this program amazing are YOU. Without gracious and loving host families, these kids would never get the opportunity to come to America and make their dreams come true.
Host families, just like the students, are unique. They can be traditional families, blended families, empty nester couples, or young couples (at least age 25) who don’t have kids yet. Ultimately, almost anyone can host, as long as they have a heart for teenagers and are excited to experience new things. THIS MEANS YOU!!
As a federally recognized and CSIET accredited exchange organization, Pan Atlantic Foundation does require a thorough vetting process for any interested families. Steps include a lengthy application process, a background check, an in-home interview, and positive references. As your local, born and raised Alaskan Area Representative, I will work with you every step of the way. I will be the one performing the interview in your home, and also the one who calls you every month to be sure things are going smoothly. I will take your student(s) out to dinner or an activity every month to offer them the same level of support. I will always be a phone call or a text message away and ready to jump in to support with whatever you might need.
Every year, these students – who come from all over the world including Europe, Mexico, and Thailand – go home singing their praises about their amazing host families. They tell their friends about the adventures they went on together, the vacations they shared, and the laughter they had around the dinner table at family birthdays. They bring home the holiday traditions that YOU shared with them, and you might find yourselves continuing some of the traditions they taught you.
Hosting is such a rewarding experience and, honestly, we could not make these amazing students’ dreams come true without you. For more information, contact me (Jessie Wetherell) at jwetherell.panatlantic@gmail.com. If you already know you want to apply, go towww.iwanttohost.org and fill out your application today. I’m excited to get to meet each of you and help make the world a smaller place, one student and family at a time!