Natalie, an exchange student from Germany placed with a host family in Michigan, enjoyed participating in extracurricular activities during her time in the U.S. She recommends joining a club to other high school exchange students and shares her personal reflections, detailed below.
Join a Club in America!
It is always good to be involved in something — to belong. I chose to be on my high school’s basketball team and softball team and to join the drama club. All three were great experiences. It really helps to get friends.
At the end of the basketball season, my team gave me a poster and a present. It was so cute. It is cool to wear a jersey and represent an American town! I will miss everything in America and I’m so thankful to everyone who helped me. I am sad that I can’t continue playing the sports, because we don’t have that many teams in Germany.
As Natalie suggests, sports and after school clubs are a great way for high school exchange students to get involved in their host communities and make friends. The clubs and sports may not be the same as in a student’s home country, but that’s all part of the process of cultural exchange: comparing and contrasting, trying new things, meeting new people and sharing your experiences and observations. It’s a beautiful thing!
If you would like to learn about how you can become a host and give an international student like Natalie the opportunity to attend high school in the U.S. and experience life as part of an American family, check out our host family FAQ. You’ll find plenty of information throughout the AYA website, but that’s a great place to get started.
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