Chapel Hill, TN – Have you considered hosting a foreign exchange student? Judith Broadbent told WGNS, “Exchange students are waiting to come for their academic/cultural exchange year (starts this August). All that is missing is a host family.”
She lives nearby in Chapel Hill, Tennessee and is the area coordinator for Cultural Homestay International.
This mid-state educator explained, “We have students who are interested in all fields of endeavor and would love to be here for their exchange. Students are from Europe and Brazil. They have their own medical insurance and a monthly spending allowance. They are high school students, mostly juniors, and are top students at home.”
Host families provide room and board and make students a part of their family.
One of the many exchange students who hopes to study in America is an 18-year-old twelfth grader from Belgium named Thalia. She loves reading, sports, and is a pianist.
A Letter from Thalia
Her introductory letter includes: “I’m Thalia! I would like to present me and my family first. They tell me often that I’m an energetic person. I’m a bit clumsy because of that, but my dynamic side is my main positive point for many reasons. To feel good, I do a lot of sports, so I can let off steam and it also means I don’t have to think about anything else. I’m often busy because I don’t like doing nothing. So, I also started playing the piano 7 years ago. I discovered what it’s like to make music and not just listen to it, and now I can’t keep my hands off it. I’ve also been able to overcome my fear of the public and I feel more at ease in everyday life thanks to music. I’m also ambitious and I like to see things through to the end, which is why I do a lot of work for the school. It’s always nice to get a good mark! I’m an empathic person and I’m also good at listening to others. I can easily put myself in the other person’s shoes. I’m always there for others. I want to discover everything around me and everything is interesting to me. Despite this side of my personality, I also have a zest for life. I like to smile and laugh a lot; it makes my day. I love the world around me and my greatest dream is to explore the whole of our planet. I have a taste for adventure and I’m not afraid of the unknown. That’s why I can’t wait to discover your culture and, above all, to meet you! My parents sometimes say I’m a bit too dreamy, but I like that and I wouldn’t change it for anything else.”
Host Families Are Needed
Broadbent stresses that local families will serve as Ambassadors for the United States and share their home and Middle Tennessee culture with an exchange student.
Host families are needed now for exchange students for the 2024-2025 academic year that begins in August. All of these students have high English proficiency and are waiting for a host family.
For more information, contact Judith Broadbent in nearby Chapel Hill, Tennessee by phoning 615-400-6954 or email her at [email protected].
