Are you fascinated by international cultures? As an AYA Local Coordinator, you can share America with the world by helping international exchange students come to the United States to live with American families and attend American high schools.
In our “Meet an AYA Local Coordinator” series, we look at the people behind the success of our exchange students. Today we hear from AYA Local Coordinator Hugh, who runs a cluster in Pennsylvania, about his experience working with exchange students and host families.
Meet Hugh McMullen, AYA Local Coordinator for Pennsylvania:
What’s the best part of being a Local Coordinator?
Hugh: I think the best part […] is how many lives you touch. My family and I have hosted 20 students over the years, and I hope it could be another 20. But the best, best thing I guess is just to help students develop their life. This is their dream, coming to America and I want to be part of that. I really like to give them my attention, my guidance and help them in in a direction that will get them to where they want to be.
What sparked your interest in becoming a Local Coordinator?
Hugh: It’s funny, I hosted a student and I felt that the Local Coordinator was not doing a very good job. I complained to my wife about it in in her own way she said, “Why don’t you do it?” So, I ended up doing it and that was really a long time ago, but I’m glad I did it and I think she gave me good advice.
What makes working with AYA special?
Hugh: All my career I’ve been involved with AYA. No other organization. I believe it’s a quality organization. It’s a caring organization and we do bring the world together. The support we get from the main office is unbelievable, they’ve helped me through many situations. I’d say for the most part it’s been a pleasure.
How do your students get involved in the community?
Hugh: It’s word of mouth. I speak to a lot of people. I talk about the exchange program itself and then I find people that own businesses that want some help. […] The more the students become involved in the community, the more they build their social skills and their English. […]
What methods have you used to find new host families?
Hugh: The best method […] is I talk about the program constantly and I do mean constantly. There’s not a place that we go that I don’t bring up AYA. I have a very good resource, which is my church. As a matter of fact, the church permitted me to bring students three times. They got up on the stage and talked about the program itself and about their experiences in their country, their age and what high school they attended. And it’s been working because I always get additional placements out of that!
What makes a great Local Coordinator?
Hugh: I think a great local coordinator has to have a good heart. If you don’t have your heart in this business, you’re not going to be a great coordinator. You’ll be a coordinator, but you won’t be a great one. You really need to have your heart into it. You need to feel the process, not just go through it, but feel it. And the more you feel it, the more the host family feels it, the more the students feel it and that’s what makes it possible.
What is the biggest benefit to international education and exchange week?
Hugh: The biggest benefit for international education week is for you to share your culture with the others around you. It could be in high school; it could be the church. One exchange student called me and said they wanted to do it at their family’s Thanksgiving […], so relatives could know what the exchange program is about. So that’s a good way to share it. The high school kids in this country struggle to understand other countries, but the more they understand, the more they can help to bring the world together.
What’s your favorite part about attending a National Meeting?
Hugh: Sharing thoughts. Sharing experiences. Sharing ideas and seeing the other coordinators there. Even though I’ve been here almost 29 years as a Local Coordinator, I still learn something every time I come to these events. […] Yes, it’s nice to see new countries and new cultures, try new foods, but really the camaraderie that you build is unbelievable.
What is a National Meeting like?
Hugh: If you haven’t had the chance to go to a National Meeting, the way I would describe it is it’s a relief. If you’ve had trouble with the students, you’re going to hear from others that have been through the same situation, […] and they can help you get through it. It’ll make your job easier, and you will become more professional.
Any tips for new Local Coordinators?
Hugh: I love new local coordinators because they’re starting an Adventure that they’re not going to believe. Communication is number one. What I believe works the best for me is after the family has accepted a student and it’s been approved, I call the student, […] introduce myself and tell them how I will help them become a great exchange student. I also speak to their parents which builds their confidence, so when the student comes here and gets off the plane, they’re not strangers anymore.
I encourage host families to communicate […] using WhatsApp or Skype. I highly recommend building your communication in order to build your trust in each other. And when the student gets here, you can just join in and help them discover everything.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Interested in becoming an AYA Local Coordinator?
AYA is looking for passionate individuals like Hugh across the United States. Becoming a Local Coordinator is a rewarding opportunity to build your personal and professional network by providing support to international students, host families and your own community.
Leave a Reply