Her exchange year may have ended, but Julia, an Academic Year in America high school exchange student from Germany, will cherish her memories of her year abroad for years to come, thanks in large part to the Litzburg family. This caring bunch showed their love and encouragement for their host daughter by making an effort to attend all of her sporting events, concerts, and other significant moments during her exchange year. Their constant presence gave her the encouragement she needed to immerse herself in her American cultural experience and have an outstanding year in the U.S.!
Julia shares her reflections on her cultural exchange experience in New York with the Litzburg family:
“My host family made my time here perfect. They have become family and I love them a lot. I have always felt welcome and liked. They did everything to make my year perfect. Whenever I needed them, they were there for me. They came to every single (and there were a lot!!) of my and my host sister Milla´s track meets to support us. They drove hours to our meets and stayed till the end even when it was cold and dark. They were there for me every single time to cheer me on, although I wasn’t the best runner. They were proud of me when I got good grades and motivated me to work even harder.
Milla and I also played in the school orchestra. My host family came to listen to every single concert to watch us play, which made me really happy. My host mom Ella also sent a lot of pictures of me from track meets and other events to my parents back in Germany to show them what I do here. My parents were really happy about it since they miss me a lot and they are happy to know what I do here.
My host dad Mike always has a joke to tell, which made it easy to feel like I was home. He is always happy and has a smile on his face when he sees Milla and me coming home from school. Milla and I have become best friends, and I am will miss spending time with her so much. My host mom Ella is one of the most caring and hard-working people I have ever met. She influenced me only positively, and I am so glad we have met. She always helped me and was always there for me. I will miss my host family a lot and couldn’t imagine spending my year here with anyone else.
This year has been the best of my life, and that’s because of my host family. Thank you so much for being my host family and making me feel loved and supported every single day I spend with you. I love you and will miss you a lot!”
We’re guessing that Julia left quite an impression on the Litzburg family, and that they miss their host daughter and sister just as much as she misses them!
Is your family interested in welcoming an international high school exchange student like Julia into your lives?
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