Welcoming an international exchange student into your home is a life-changing experience for both the student and the entire host family. Julie from small-town Rossville, Kansas, knows this firsthand. Over the past 12 years, her family has opened their hearts and home to seven exchange students from around the world, and they’ve discovered just how small — and meaningful — the world can feel.
In this interview, Julie shares her family’s journey as a host family and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Please introduce yourself.
“My name is Julie Spring. I’m from Rossville, Kansas. I have hosted—I think I had my first foreign exchange student I want to say 12 years ago, and we’ve had seven foreign exchange students.”
What have you learned about other cultures as a result of hosting?
“For us, we spend a lot of time talking about family because, being in a small town, family is very important. In America, family is very important, and so it’s important for us to make sure we integrate our students with our family, because not only are they an important part of our life, but they become an important part of our whole family’s life.”
Have you kept in touch with the students you’ve hosted?
“[Our exchange student] from Japan has been back twice. He came back—the last time he came back was about six years ago when my son got married. He was in the wedding. The [exchange student] from Italy—she’s been back as well, and so has the [exchange student] from Germany. And then we’ve also been to Italy twice to visit the Italian [exchange student], Georgia.
We also—when we went to Italy the last time—we went to Germany to see Berka. Bal, our Pakistani kid, he was in the Czech Republic, so we flew him to Italy to meet us so that we could see him as well. I actually just talked to the Bal from Pakistan five minutes ago. I talked to him and it’s been 10 years since we had him, and I probably talk to him every week at least once.”
How do towns like tours across the US benefit from the presence of high school exchange students?
“I think it’s good for them to have high school exchange students because they have to learn that the world is just not about Rossville, Kansas. It’s about other things and other things going on. And you know, with the foreign exchange students, the things that are going on at home—they can explain to the American kids, and they can get a better feeling of kind of what the world is like. Because, you know, everything’s just not Rossville, Kansas—there’s more going on.
Rossville High School has been great, and the kids have been great in taking these kids in and hanging out with them. And that’s all they want. I mean, they want to come and they want to experience what it’s like just to be an American kid and how things work.
We encourage, when the kids come, that they get involved with sports or activities or something like that so that they can have contact with people and not just stay home and worry about being away from home.”
How does it feel knowing that you’ve played an integral part in building a global family by being part of an exchange program?
“I loved having them, and they were all a part of our family. And my family loves them just as much as I love them. It’s great for the community to have them in there, and the community has been so kind.”
Any advice for future host families?
“If I had any advice to give people that were worried about having foreign exchange students, I would just tell them the biggest thing is: you just have to be patient, because they don’t know what to expect. They don’t know you when they walk in the door. And, you know, you just have to remind them and tell them. Because if you’re honest with them upfront, then you don’t have built-up frustration, because they don’t know what they’re not doing right unless you tell them.
And all the kids really wanted to do what they’re told to do. They want to know that, you know. And it just makes things much better when you’re communicating with them.
If everybody hosted a foreign exchange student, the world would be better, because I think that it’s important to learn that it’s just not about you and where you’re at. There are more people out there, from different countries, who are capable of loving and caring and being productive people. And it’s been like a pleasure for us to get to be part of it.”
Host an exchange student with AYA
Academic Year in America (AYA) is a non-profit organization that connects enthusiastic international high school students with host parents who are ready to welcome them into their homes. In addition to matching host parents and exchange students, we offer valuable 24/7 support from professionals at our national office and our on-the-ground Local Coordinators, who are ready to assist you throughout your entire hosting experience.
If you want to be like Julie in Kansas and host an international exchange student, AYA is here to help!
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