Time and again, we see how an exchange year can shape a high school student’s life in lasting ways. For Arfa, an exchange student from Indonesia spending his year in Texas, that journey has been filled with new experiences, meaningful connections, and moments that have pushed him to grow. Between settling in with his host family and becoming part of his local community, Arfa has embraced each part of the experience with openness and curiosity.
Keep reading to follow Arfa’s journey as a high school exchange student from Indonesia and see how his time in Texas is shaping his exchange year in the United States.
Why did you want to do an exchange year in the United States?
“I’ve always wanted to be the ambassador of my country and show Americans how wonderful Indonesia is from many fronts like cultures, histories, tourisms and societies. I believed that an exchange year in the United States will give me priceless experiences and opportunities to learn about the people and its society. I will also get the chance to promote mutual understanding by forming relationships with local families and the communities. On top of it, my big goal is to be an active global citizens that could create positive impacts for the world.”
Tell us about your host family and why you appreciate them.
“I have the best host family I could ever ask for. I live with my host dad and my double placement from Italy, I would say we are an extremely hilarious family. We always spend every seconds of our year with great atmosphere. We love making jokes and laugh together. We also enjoy travelling, visiting great places and landmarks with them has been some of the best moments of my exchange year. What I really appreciate about my host family is how we always support each other in everything we do. My host dad always tries his best to make the best and better times in our exchange year. I love them so much.”
What have you learned about American culture and how have you shared your culture with Americans?
“Throughout my exchange year, there are thousands of American cultures that I’ve learned. One thing that surprised me the most when I got here is how friendly people are, they would say hi and talk randomly to strangers they barely know. I also learned about how individualism works in the United States, about how they really value individual rights and privacy. I love how people creates freedom among the citizens, you can do a lot of things that you wanted. My favorite thing about the American culture is how they celebrate festivals, they would spend times together with their families on holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and many other things. It’s great!
Because I am the ambassador of my country, I always try my best to show how beautiful Indonesian culture is in many things. Starting from small things like living with a good habits, sharing perspectives, showing our foods and traditions, and lots of other things. I also did some presentations at school, and I loved how my friends looked so excited and interested about the Indonesian culture.”
Did you know you can host an exchange student like Arfa from Indonesia?
Host families from across the United States come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you’d like to host for a full school year, a semester, or just for a few weeks as Welcome Family, you can make an impact on an exchange student’s life by hosting!
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