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by Peggy Helmick-Richardson
Every year, up to 10 students from other countries attend Allen High School. These teen guests are participants of one of the many varied international student exchange programs. Taking part in a foreign exchange program offers benefits for both students and hosts. Three of this year’s exchange students, Julia Buchold and Johannes Lux from Germany and Roos Emans from The Netherlands, share their experiences with Allen Image readers.
Host Families
Although each of the international exchange student programs has their own regulations, most are open to a variety of family situations in an attempt to meet the needs of both student and family. The ultimate goal is to provide a safe and satisfactory experience for all involved.
Roos is the ninth exchange student for John and Kathy Marks. They first got interested in foreign exchange programs in the mid-1990s after living in England. "We thought it was a good way for our kids to not lose touch with the rest of the world," Kathy explains.
Kathy now volunteers for STS Foundation, scouting for new host families. She emphasizes, "Families do not have to be a mom and dad with kids." She offers a list of options, from single parents to couples with no children. The process includes filling out a simple application, providing references and having a criminal background check. "We usually show them four or five kids that match their interests and they have a say in which student they host," she continues.
Previously, the Marks have hosted three students from Germany and five from Italy, and have maintained contact with them over the years, including visits to their homes.
One of the greatest benefits of hosting an exchange student for Kathy has been providing the visiting teens an opportunity "to see firsthand how Americans live." She also warns that hosting an exchange student may require some adjustments. She points out that it is common for host children to experience some jealousy when having to share their parents.
Johnny Lux is the second exchange student for John and Tracey D’Annuzio, who previously hosted a female student from Norway who is now studying classical guitar at Columbus State University in Georgia.
The D’Annuzios initially decided to host an exchange student because they once aspired to live in Europe. "So we thought we would bring a little Europe to us," John states. "We wanted our children to realize they are global citizens." One unexpected advantage for him was getting so close to the students and their families.
Their first exchange students were from Europe, he notes, because "we wanted someone from a similar culture." Now with a few years experience, they are considering a student from Asia in the future. In addition to his interest in music, they selected Johnny because "we were looking for role models for our children and he seems flexible, independent and self-sufficient."
John explains that they opted to apply through American Field Service "because my wife has always known about AFS and had friends that were a part of it."
Tracey adds that having foreign students in their home offers "enjoyable and enlightening conversation. "She continues, "Having visited other countries, specifically Norway, we both came back with the feeling that they have a better family life, work less and have a better balance in their lives. How do we bring this into our lives?"
For Tracey, the greatest challenge of hosting an exchange student is no different than having any American teen in their home. Common requests include keeping the guitar amplifier turned down and bedrooms picked up. "I would be proud to say they were my kids," she emphasizes.
Empty-nesters Joanne and Mark Auspach of Fairview hosted their first foreign exchange students in 1999 while living in California and Julia is their fourth student, and their first since moving to Texas two years ago.
The Auspachs first became involved with Youth For Understanding when their daughter Niocle, now 24, spent a year on a farm in New Zealand through their program while in high school. Julia was the first student from YFU to come to Allen High School.
Joanne names the greatest benefit of hosting foreign exchange students as the "lasting, long-term relationships." She continues, "That is the feeling we are looking for when we are reading their letters. This is a life-long program and we tell them we expect you to write us when you get home. And you have an American home, and we expect you to come home now and then—and our kids do." The couple has also visited the homes of each of their exchange students in Chile, Sweden, and Germany.
One difficulty Joanne has observed foreign exchange students face is their limited understanding of American slang and euphemism. She explains that although the students have received in-depth English instruction, it is often from British teachers.
Joanne stresses that host families need to recognize that theyare dealing with teenagers. "They leave shoes, books, jackets, stuff every¬where," she laughs. "They all do it—they are teenagers!"
In April, the Auspachs will add another teen to their home. A 14-year-old Australian boy will be staying with them to attend Lovejoy High School. Because he is the son of a friend, he will be their first not placed by an agency.
Julia Buchold
Sixteen-year-old Julia Buchold hails from Jever, a town of approximately 16,000 people in Northern Germany, where she lives with her parents, Andreas and Maike, and sister Fenja, 18. Julia stays with host parents Joanne and Mark Auspach of Fairview.
Julia came to the United States through Youth For Understanding. The 56-year-old YFU operates in 60 countries and currently supports 2,600 high school students each year as well as 240 students in community colleges across the United States. She opted to go through this organization after they made a presentation at her school.
For this German 11th grader, participating in a foreign exchange program was a natural choice. "My family enjoys traveling," she explains. "I’ve been pretty much all over Europe—Spain, Greece, England Poland, Egypt, the Caribbean and Dubai." In addition, her sister Fenja took part in an international program two years earlier. Julia’s primary reason was to deepen her under¬standing of a nation that has "a lot of stuff in the news." She continues, "I wanted to know how it is in reality—to get my own opinions and views."
In Jever, Julia attends Marien Gymnasium. She explains that the school system in Germany is signifi¬cantly different than in the U.S. "We have 13 school years and three different schools," she points out. The school a student attends is determined by career choices, with one school ending at ninth grade and another at tenth grade. Those students who will attend college enroll in the 13-year school.
For Julia, one of the biggest surprises is the more common use of multiple choice rather than essay tests. Another significant dissimilarity is that students at her German school do not have the option of choosing separate courses. "Classes stay together and the teachers change," she points out. Julia also notes that English is a requirement starting in the fourth grade. And one incon¬venience here is needing a hall pass to go to the rest room.
When asked about what she likes best about Allen High School she immediately re¬¬sponds, "I like the school spirit and the variety of sports!"
And activities outside of school? "I like shopping in the malls here because they are really big."
Julia also sees our demand for ‘larger’ as being an in¬¬convenience. "Everything is so big and so far apart!" she notes. In Germany, her primary trans¬portation was a bicycle. "Now I have to plan to do anything, even going to the bank or the store."
One American staple Julia holds no fondness for is fast food. "Once in a while, it is okay, but it is so greasy. I couldn’t eat it every day." She grins and adds, "I’m glad that my host mom can really cook good!" Topping Julia’s list of favorites is barbecue, Asian cuisine and caramel corn. She emphasizes, "I like a variety of food and to try new food. I really enjoyed the turkey on Thanksgiving."
When asked what food she misses most, Julia immediately names spaetzle (egg noodles commonly served as a side dish) and whole grain bread.
This summer, Julia will return to Jever to complete her final two years before going on to college. Uncertain which university she will attend, Julia emphasizes, "I would like to go to college in Hamburg. It is a really pretty harbor city and has lots of stores and shopping."
Career-wise, Julia is more certain of what she doesn’t want to do. "I know I don’t want to spend the whole day behind a computer. I want to work with people, not machines. Maybe something in medicine." Her parents own a business manufacturing and supplying tools for those dealing with handicaps, such as prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs.
In addition to keeping up with her long-time hobbies of tennis and jazz dancing, Julia has taken up tae kwon do since coming to Texas. She also likes movies and all kinds of music; the group Red Hot Chili Peppers and the film Pirates of the Caribbean are favorites.
How has her foreign exchange experience changed her? "I’m thinking more about what I am doing because I have to make my own decisions."
Johannes Lux
Raised in the small town of Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany, 17-year-old Johannes "Johnny" Lux left his parents, two brothers, Andreas, 15, and Alexander, 13, and three sisters, Katharine, 18, Barbara, 14, and Friderike, 12, to attend eleventh grade at Allen High School this year. His parents, Ande and Evelyn, are both school teachers. He is staying with host family John and Tracey D’Annuzio and their five children Michael, 11, Francesca, 10, and Matthew, Alexis and Gabrielle, 8.
Johnny came to the United States through American Field Service. Over 90 years old, this foreign exchange organization works with students in over 50 countries. He explains that he has a friend who came to the U.S. last year through AFS, one of the more popular foreign exchange agencies in Germany.
Johnny traveled across the United States with his family last year, visiting New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Vancouver, Canada. In addition, they have been to France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Poland.
He learned last March that his host family lived in Texas. "I knew that I would not see cowboys and other things like this, but I didn’t think of Texas as being a whole lot different from the other states," he notes. "There is a really funny saying here, ‘Everything is bigger in Texas,’ and that is really true."
Another surprise was his ease in understanding "Texan." He explains, "I thought people would have a strong accent here, but I don’t think that is true. I can understand the people here really good, but in Germany, I can’t understand some of the people who come from the eastern part."
In Allen, Johnny has had the opportunity to sample a number of diverse cuisines, with his current favorites being a Mongolian and a hamburger restaurant. He also notes, "My host mom can cook really good Italian food." Although he admits to missing some the traditional German food, he points out that a local German-style restaurant is "really close."
Returning to his hometown next year as a 12th grader at Gymnasium Garlgen, Johnny explains, "In Germany, most of the teachers are not your friends. They don’t care about your grades and no one is offering tutoring. The school is harder." He is uncertain on what he will do after graduation. "I will spend one year either in the military or social service, and then I will go to the university, but I don’t know which one." He is also undecided on what career he will pursue.
Football has been one of Johnny’s best discoveries. "I didn’t know much about football before I came here," he points out. "I went to all the high school games except one." His German school offers physical education classes that include a variety of sports such as volleyball, basketball, soccer and a variation of dodgeball. He also plays badminton though a community sports club. While at Allen High School, Johnny participates in cross country. "It has been a really nice experience. I had never run more than two miles before and my time has improved by five or six minutes."
Like Julia, Johnny laments not being able to ride a bike wherever he needs to go. "I have to walk or look for someone who can give me a ride."
Johnny’s favorite pastime is playing the guitar, both electric and acoustic. "I especially like classic rock and my favorite band is Led Zeppelin. I also like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Lynard Skynard and ZZ Top." He explains that his musical preferences have been strongly influenced by his parents. "I grew up with that music. My parents both play in an oldie band."
In his time off, Johnny enjoys being with friends. "For me, friends are the most important things when you are an exchange student, and I have found some really good friends here," he asserts. He also enjoys going to the movies and names the Star Wars series as a favorite.
Has he noticed any significant changes from his experience of being an exchange student? "I think I have changed a lot," he declares. "I have become a lot more open to everything."
Roos Emans
Although enrolled in eleventh grade classes at Allen High School as required of foreign exchange students, Dutch student Roos Emans graduated from Blaise Pascal Gymnasium in her hometown of Spijkenisse last year. The 18-year-old is staying with host family Kathy and John Marks. Their 18-year-old daughter Andrea is a senior at John Paul High School in Plano and 23-year-old son John is a student at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Another well-seasoned trekker, Roos has traveled across Europe with her parents Ronald, a high school teacher in a school for disabled students, and Ria, a dental assistant, and younger sister Viola, 16. She lists Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Spain, United Kingdom, Morocco, and Turkey as some of the other countries she has visited.
Roos came to the United States through Student Travel Schools Foundation. Founded in 1986, this organization has students from ages 15 to 18 in 21 countries. Roos initially eliminated Texas as an option "because I was a vegetarian." She explains, "I thought all Texans eat steaks." Although the Marks family is not vegetarian, Roos notes that Kathy makes it a point to provide vegetarian meals and they go out to eat often. Roos was surprised to discover "you can really eat vegetarian here!"
Roos misses the traditional pastries and cookies of her country but not the typical Dutch meals. "There are a lot of mashed dishes and the Dutch are known for eating a lot of potatoes," she points out, curling her nose. "I really don’t like it." Here, Mexican has become a favorite meal choice.
What has she enjoyed most about her stay in Texas? "I like the people. I have made a lot of friends, and they are very nice."
One significant adjustment Roos has had to make is in the size of the school. "My graduating class last year had 34," she declares, adding that she is in awe of the attendance at school pep rallies and the need for staggered lunch schedules.
Despite the significant size difference, Roos has found advantages in attending a large high school. "You have so many choices! In the art department you can choose sculpture, drawing, painting, photography…. In my old school, you could choose art." She continues, "We didn’t have many clubs at school, and we didn’t have a football team or swimming team. We had PE class." The badminton club she belongs to in Spijkenisse is through a sports club.
While here, Roos came to a surprising realization. "I appreciate home a lot more," she admits. "I always felt like The Netherlands was a boring country. Now there are a lot of things I miss." Topping this list is going shopping and to movies with her sister Viola.
Roos appreciates American theaters because "they are much nicer and bigger." With a fondness for comedies and dramas, the French movie Amélie is her favorite. Shopping at Northpark is another pleasure Roos enjoys indulging in. "They have malls at home," she comments, "but I don’t think you would call them malls because they are so much smaller."
A member of the National Art Honor Society, this Dutch teen is enrolled in a ceramics class at Allen High School and draws and scrapbooks at home. She also enjoys reading and is a fan of the Harry Potter series and detective novels. Roos also likes rock music, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers topping her list of favorite groups.
Roos will major in either sociology or Spanish when she goes to college next year. She currently is considering a teaching career. "But that could change," she notes, emphasizing, "I just can’t see myself going to work in an office."
Roos has had two significant treats in the United States. This summer, she went to Disneyworld in Florida with her host family. Then in September, she accompanied Kathy on a trip to Washington D.C. with Families United. In addition to visiting the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, their trip included breakfast on the south lawn of the White House, hosted by the President and First Lady. "That was my most special experience in the USA," Roos declares.
Want to know more?
Now in his fourth year at Allen High School, economics teacher Todd Wyckoff became sponsor of the school’s International Club this year. His interest in international relations began before becoming a teacher.
"I used to work for Frito-Lay and then a company that Frito-Lay outsourced some of their business to. I spent about four years traveling out of the country, with a lot of work in Asia," he explains. "Then my wife and I had a foreign exchange student for 1999-2000 and had a really good experience."
Six of the ten foreign exchange students are members of the 20-member International Club this year. Todd states that other members are students who have either lived abroad, traveled extensively, or are looking to meet new people and expand their viewpoints. "Most American kids have little international interface," he emphasizes. "But a lot of these foreign exchange kids speak two languages and I have one girl who speaks five different languages."
Because Allen High School limits the number of foreign exchange students each year to 10, Todd stresses that anyone wanting to host a student from another country should contact the school first to be assured their student can be enrolled.
Student foreign exchange pro¬grams may be either for-profit businesses or non-profit organizations. Todd also notes that of the numerous international programs, Allen High School currently works with about one-half dozen. He explains that one of the oldest and largest of these, American Field Service, was started by volunteer ambulance drivers serving to transport wounded French soldiers during World War One. "They thought if people just got to know each other, the world would be a better place."
If you are interested in hosting a foreign exchange student or would like to know more about studying abroad in a foreign high school, you may contact Todd Wyckoff at Allen High School, 972-727-0400.
To learn more about the three student programs mentioned in this article, go to their web sites: American Field Service—www.afs.org; Youth For Understanding—www.yfu-usa.org; Students Travel Schools —www.stsfoundation.org. |
