It's so hard to say goodbye....

Every year saying goodbye is difficult. This year has been especially hard to say good bye... 5 of my 7 kids this year I had the opportunity to be closer to in distance and that changed the dynamic of the student/coordinator relationship more than I ever though it would.

Also this year many close friends of ours hosted and it has made it more emotional for me to see them feel the loss sending their new family member back to their home country.

I have loved getting to know these amazing families who have opened their hearts and these remarkable kids who I have watched grow and mature.

My heart will always have a place for them!

Safe travels and see you soon!!

International Dinner 2011

What an amazing night!

I was asked to do the slideshow kind of last minute but I pulled it off and everyone loved it!

We had half of the Utah students come to the dinner with their families. All but 1 brought a dish from their country to share and all of them shared unique and fun talents!

The feeling that it was all coming to an end became real for many families and students. There were tears and grateful hearts.

Why Utah?

To new students - You are probably asking yourselves  

"Why am I going to Utah?"

Utah is a very unique state. It is the only state that you will find every type of terrain!!  This allows for a huge variety of activities all year round and beauty everywhere you go!

The state is also full of American History. There are many historical sites to see all over the state.

There are also many malls, theaters, restaurants ect...

 Another very unique aspect of High School life in Utah is all the dances!!!  Almost all high schools have dances every other month. Some have one every month. Students in Utah go to the dances with friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, as a group... it really doesn't matter. They go to have fun and dance and enjoy the day. Most dances are preceded by a daytime activity i.e bowling, movie, go-carts, mini golf ect...  with the group you are going to the dance with.

 As most American High Schools in the bigger city areas there are many sports, clubs and classes to choose from at school.  But remember just because sports are offered does not guarantee you will be able to participate. They are highly competitive and the coach decides what is best for the team.




And as if those things were not enough... there are still more activities to be found if you just look...

The best thing you can do is make A LOT of friends.  Friends will be able to give you the best experience while you are here.

All pictures were taken by past exchange students and used with permission 

- These were their experiences here in Utah - 

What will yours be?!

New Regulations

The State Department has issued new rules and regulations surrounding the placement process of exchange students. The changes are for the safety of the students.

Host families are being asked to provide additional information and proof that a coordinator had visited them, interviewed them and inspected the home.

We also will not be allowed to provide full student profiles with names and photos until the host family has been approved.

You can see the full document with the changes here.

The safety and well being of our students are one of our top priorities. I hope you will join us in supporting the State Department in these changes.

Christmas Crafting

My mom knows the owner of Heartfelt Wall Hangings.  I took all the students, who could go, to the workshop to make Christmas gifts for their host families. It was AWESOME!!!!

At first they were not so sure about making a gift but by the end they loved it! They each got to pre-order what they would make not knowing what anyone else was making. When they saw that they had all chosen different things they really had a good time watching each others progress and creativity.

When it was time to go they were so excited to give them to their host families. I love that it will be a treasured keepsake forever.

Halloween!

I planned a Halloween party for all of the Northern Utah students. They had a really fun time. Some brought their host siblings and other brought friends.

We did a photo scavenger hunt. We had 2 teams with identical lists (in different order) of places, things and actions that needed to be photographed.  They were required to wear a costume. The lists took them with in a 15 square mile area. I drove 1 suburban of kids and Jody, another coordinator, took the other.

Jody's team won!!!

We came back to my house to watch each others pictures on the tv and have treats.

We made the CETUSA newsletter with our adventure!

THE LIST

• Everyone on a bed
• With a stranger eating ice cream
• With a horse
• With 3 witches
• With someone else dressed up
• In an elevator
• Decorating a Christmas tree
• Playing Dance Dance Revolution
• With workers at Wal-mart

New Students!!!

Welcome students of 2010-2011!!!!!!!

This year we actually get to host!!!!  We have a girl coming from Hong Kong!

I have 7 students this year that I'm managing. I can't wait to get to know them!  This year is going to be even more rewarding I think... I can now place in the high school hear my home so I can be more involved with them!  I am also super excited that all but 2 families are already friends of mine!  I hope that means plenty of good contact and comfort in coming to me if needed.

The airport was awesome!!!  I again was able to get security passes and greet them as they came off the plane.

I then gave them to their families and thanks to Facebook the contact before they arrived helped them to feel happy and excepted right away.