Ayusa, a non-profit organization dedicated to the high school foreign exchange program, is hoping to find a host family for 17-year-old Irene from Italy and 18-year-old Thanakorn “Jay” from Thailand here in Navajo County. These students arrive this month, have more than 10 years of English lessons, have their own insurance and spending money, and can attend Snowflake High School, Holbrook High School or Winslow High School. Irene loves acting, cooking, horseback riding, and visiting museums. “I try my best to learn new things and that’s why I really look forward to going in the USA and take part in this program; I can’t wait to learn all about your culture and traditions. I love making new friends and I really hope I’ll find friendly and awesome people while I’m abroad.” Irene writes in her letter to her future host family. Jay lives with his grandma and visits his mom on school holidays. He likes sports, bike riding, volunteering, playing games, cooking, playing the electric guitar, reading, visiting museums, and going camping. He loves looking at the stars and hopes to learn about photographing them. He wishes to play in the snow and “I want to cut wood like a lumberjack.” Irene and Jay will be joining seven other Ayusa exchange students, from Spain, France, Japan, Russia, and Germany, already in Navajo County for the 2023-2024 school year in Show Low, Snowflake and Joseph City. The American small town, small school experience offered in this region is considered a perk. Exchange students can try out for sports, audition for the school play, join clubs and make friends easier in small schools. They are excited to come to America because they love the strong school spirit. School colors, school mascots, and yellow school buses are unique to the USA. Volunteer host families provide foreign exchange students a nurturing environment, three meals a day and a bedroom (either private or shared with a host sibling of the same gender). Each host family and student are supported by a professionally trained community representative who works with the family and student for the entire program. All interested host families are required to fill out an application, pass a background check and interview with a local exchange program representative in their homes. Once accepted to the program, host families can view profiles of students to find the right match for their family. Traci Butler, Ayusa host mom this year, said, “Having an exchange student is going to be a fun cultural change for all of us. It will help us get out of our original day-to-day and do more for us to grow closer together. I’m excited to see the things we learn throughout the year. There is so much love felt and we feel as if Yui were our own kid.” Ayusa is currently accepting applications for families to host an exchange student for the 2023-2024 school year and is offering a $200 referral bonus to anyone who refers a family who hosts. There are still openings at the following local high schools: Snowflake, Holbrook, Winslow and Saint Johns. With the beginning of the school year comes the deadline to host a foreign exchange student, so applications need to be submitted right away. There are still more than 140 students from 18 countries waiting to hear who their family will be this year, including Irene and Jay. For more information about hosting a high school foreign exchange student, please contact Shari McLaws at 928-587-6160 cell or smclaws@ayusa.org or visit the website at www.ayusa.org.
