Bring The World Home Host a YFU Exchange Student

All Students are coming for the 2013 14 School Year (more choices to come! Whats your request?) Take a leap of faith this year! Consider opening your heart and your home to a Youth for Understanding high school exchange student for the school year or a semester! You would provide a place to live, three meals a day, encouragement, guidance and love to your new exchange son/daughter. It is a typical family living experience--NOT a tourist/travel opportunity. Families come in all shapes and sizes, with and without children of all ages. The students come with their own spending money, health insurance, and the commitment to live according to the rules and values of your family and Youth for Understanding (www.yfu-usa.org). Students can share a room with a host sibling. For detailed information on these kids (AND MORE) and to see if hosting might be right for you,

Call Barb Kilkka at 248-932-0811 or Email at Kilkka@yfu.org today!

Meet Reiha, age 15, from Japan! Reiha describes herself as cheerful, modest, big-hearted, and positive! Reiha loves ballet. She has been dancing ballet for many years. She is looking forward to continuing dance during her year in the US, if possible. Besides dance, Reiha enjoys shopping, playing sports, pop music, singing, and reading. She belongs to the English Conversation Club at school. She especially enjoys the movie, High School Musical and watching cheerleading (maybe she can try that?). Cooking is another thing she enjoys and hopes to have the opportunity to cook for her host family. This past year she had the opportunity to spend ten days in New York City at a dance event. She loved the city and all the good food! Julius,16, who prefers to be called Julle (Yool-Leh in Finnish), is a friendly and helpful young man from Finland. He is an avid soccer player and hopes to continue while on his exchange. He also enjoys playing ice hockey or golf with friends, go downhill skiing, play Frisbee golf and Xbox. Julius dreams of becoming a lawyer when he's older because he is very interested in helping people with their problems - and social studies is one of his favorite subjects in school. He loves to help cook at home. Julius is allergic to cats, dogs and horses and will require a pet-free home. He also has an allergic reaction to pistachio nuts. Julius is excited for his exchange because he wants to see the differences between the US and Finland and to meet new people and make new friends in the USA. Would Julius be the perfect fit for your family? From Indonesia, Raditya, age 17, wants to be a journalist, maybe an author, and then an ambassador. Her family likes to go to the beach on weekends, she likes to run and cycle with her Dad and shop with her Mom. Raditya says she and her oldest sister are like fire and water because they are so different, but she still admires some of her sister's qualities. She describes herself as the peacemaker in her family of six, not the one looking for a fight. She is on the student board at her school and is often elected as a project manager. She is also heavily into Debate, loves to read, watch movies, write, and listen to music, along with being interested in politics and environmental issues. Raditya's chores at home are to make her bed and clean her room. Her teachers describe her as a good role model and having good behavior, respectful, disciplined, obedient, friendly, considerate, motivated, and eager to learn. RADITYA IS A YES SCHOLARSHIP WINNER. An "enthusiastic and delightful" leader, Takashi, from Japan, will be 17 in August. He began playing baseball at a young age and it is his favorite sport! His favorite American player is Koji Uehara. Takashi hopes to continue playing baseball in particular while on exchange but he also enjoys other sports like basketball, swimming and golf. In addition to sports, Takashi is musical, playing both the guitar and the piano. The guitar is also something he would like to continue while on exchange, and maybe he can entertain you playing music by Eric Clapton, the Eagles and others. Other hobbies include reading and walking his dog, which he considers part of the family. His family enjoys golf together, taking day trips and going out to eat. They also travel annually to Taiwan, which is where his mother is from. Takashi gets excellent grades in school and although his favorite subjects are math and literature, he hopes for a career in medicine someday: in particular, Doctors without Borders. His older sister spent an exchange year in Tennessee and Takashi was inspired when he visited her there. He promises to do his best to get along well with you and hopes to make the experience wonderful for not only himself, but you too! Music or sports? Aino, age 17 from Finland cant decide and is passionate about BOTH! As regards music, she plays both the violin and the piano, performs in her school's orchestra, and sings in their choir. She hopes to be able to continue with the violin while on exchange. She is a lover of sports and physical fitness, active in tennis, downhill skiing, and golf, to name a few. With friends, she also likes to shop. Finally, she describes herself as a jogger. As you might expect of a child of academically-employed parents, Aino earns excellent grades, has studied Swedish and German, besides English and her native Finnish, and hopes to attend a Swedish-speaking university after high school where she plans to pursue a medical career. Other favorite subjects are physics and chemistry. She especially loves her family and they enjoy sharing meals together, playing sports, or traveling on vacations (all around Europe, to Thailand and Africa). Aino has completed exchanges to Germany and Italy. Around the home she is responsible for keeping her room and bathroom clean. Versatile and involved, Aino would make a fantastic addition to your family!

Looking for an altar boy? Or a musician who plays guitar, tuba, trumpet, among others? Just call on David! A.k.a. Joon-Youb, this 15 year old Korean wants to be a lawyer someday to combat injustice in the world. Currently, David loves to play and listen to music. He plays the tuba and guitar almost every day, and music is his favorite class in school. He played guitar in a famous orchestra. Davids family is very active; they travel around the country once a month, and they go mountain climbing together. Hed even like to try playing football! David has been to Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, and Thailand! Davids family is Catholic and they attend church once a week. David has been an altar boy at his church. He also enjoys B.M.X. biking, swimming, and playing badminton. In his spare time, David enjoys reading and listening to pop music. He is also a member of the math club at school. David wants to learn more about American culture, and is hoping to participate in public service groups and take part in school activities during his year abroad. "My family sees me as a responsible, dependable, and open girl, who is sometimes clumsy, but even so adorable" writes Stefanie, 15, an outgoing girl from Germany. With an excellent relationship with her parents, she gets along well with her younger sister even though they may have their moments, but "a few minutes later we laugh together." Stefanie's favorite activity is tennis, which she plays recreationally with a friend. Also fond of swimming, Stefanie writes, "but I'm looking forward to try a new sport." In her free time, you might find Stefanie shopping with family or friends, playing with her bunny, just enjoying the outside, or cooking lunch for her sister and herself after school. With hopes of one day studying architecture and interior design, Stefanie is considered a conscientious student at school who goes out of her way to be helpful to her classmates. Her favorite subject is English and she can't wait to learn even more with her American family. Meet 16 year-old Anton from Kazakhstan, who enjoys rock climbing, swimming, reading literature, playing computer games, watching TV, going biking, and skiing. He likes to spend time with friends going to the cinema, and on holiday they like to go hiking in the mountains. He loves animals and hopes one day to have his own zoo business. Anton participates in an organization which protects animals and after school he goes to feed the animals and clean up after them. He'd be thrilled if you had pets! He strongly wants to participate in exchange because he likes the US culture and would like to know more about the culture, traditions, and customs of the US. He believes family is important because they are the people who always love you, support you and help you. Can you imagine Anton as a member of your family, too? Sayuri, 16, from Japan, likes to be called Lillian! Cheerful, active, humorous, and responsible, Lillian enjoys reading novels, listening to music, dancing and singing in her spare time. Lilla also loves to play the piano occasionally and maybe she can continue playing while she is here in America. She speaks Japanese, Chinese, and is working on her English. She writes of herself, "My strong point is good memory. My bad point is doing anything hurried." Lilla and her family enjoy going to the local hot springs and going swimming. Her responsibilities at home are helping with household chores and buying groceries. Her favorite subject in school is math because it is easy for her to understand. When she is finished with school she would like to become a diplomat. Lilla knows that it is going to be hard to reach this goal but is looking forward to the challenge. One of the reasons that she wants to go on exchange is she would like to meet a lot of different people and experience foreign culture, but Im most interested by American culture and society. Im looking forward to meeting you as soon as possible. (No pets in her bedroom please) Versatile and laid back, that's Nis from Germany, who turns 16 in May. This helpful and friendly guy has many interests from sports to reading to education. His teachers say this good student helps others and makes friends easily. Having played on a soccer team many years, tennis is now his favorite sport but he also likes cycling, inline skating and tae kwon do (and hopes to play soccer or other sports in the US). Sometimes he does like to sit around and read or listen to music or just hang out with his friends at the movies or playing sports. He also likes playing games with his brothers; maybe soccer, maybe tennis or maybe video games. Nils is also responsible for the care of the family dog - whether walking him or practicing new exercises. For his own money making - he walks a dog, does some babysitting and delivers papers. Nis wants to know what it is like to live in a different country, the customs and habits of people. He is excited about making new friends and teaching others about his home country. From northern Norway, 17 year old Brita loves to play soccer, which most of her friends do too! She says it's a great way to stay in touch with each other on busy days! She also likes singing, cooking, and shopping. She used to work in a clothing shop (she loves shopping!) but now she works in a bag shop. The middle of three children, family activities include ice fishing, picking wild berries, and helping with the reindeer herd in the spring. Her father is often gone for long periods of time but they always look forward to him coming home. Her family has always had dogs, so she doesn't mind indoor pets. About school, Brita writes "School is fun for me because I see all my friends there and I really do enjoy learning". This is why she is eager to learn about another culture and can't imagine a better way to do it than by spending a year in another place! Brita is not shy and is very open to new things, she is ambitious and a big dreamer who has lots of ideas for her future. The first one being living with an American family and immersing herself into an American life! For detailed information on these kids (& OTHERS!), call Barb Kilkka at 248-932-0811 or Kilkka@yfu.org

Calling basketball an "awesome sport," Marlon, 15, plays on a local team but enjoys all sorts of other recreational sports like rollerblading, swimming, skiing, soccer, and biking, yet he writes, "My biggest hobby is to play basketball because I love basketball." Other activities including reading and "like every teenager my age," you will find Marlon playing computer games and his PS3. In his family, they like to see other cultures - in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, the Netherlands, Gibraltar and Belgium plus Marlon took a trip to China with his class. He has taken three languages in school; English and Spanish are his favorites but he also takes French. Geography and history are other favorites. He cleans his room and has a paper route for extra money. Marlon wants to share European culture (especially German!) with you. Confident, helpful and punctual is how Anna describes herself, plus social and talkative by nature. She can make friends quickly and adapts soon to new situations, which will serve her well when she arrives in the USA! Anna is from a small village in Poland where she lives with her parents and younger brother. She considers her hobbies to be photography and winter sports like skiing and snowboarding. She is also especially fond of watching comedies and sci-fi movies. An early riser, she enjoys chatting with her friends on the way to school and during breaks. On weekends, she enjoys more time for movies, church or just staying at home. She also loves traveling and acknowledges that in her short life she has been lucky enough to travel to many countries in Europe plus two student exchanges to the Netherlands and Russia. She loved staying with local families! Of her upcoming year in the USA, Anna writes, "I am sure it will be a fantastic experience which I will remember forever". Outgoing, humorous, and sociable, thats Jonas, 16 from Germany, (known as Otto, his middle name). He is responsible, talkative, friendly, and very flexible. An excellent student, he enjoys studying history and is fascinated with American history. He says he is intrigued by politics, too, as he thinks it is very interesting to see how politicians can influence the world. Soccer is his sport but he is looking forward to trying something new while on exchange. Otto is also passionate about playing the drums. His favorite bands are Green Day, Blink and AC/DC and he enjoys listening to and playing hip hop music. He has been on school exchanges to London and France; he says they were amazing and he is looking forward to his year in America. Otto has long had a dream to live in the US, feel the American way of life, and see American school spirit. Otto is looking forward to you and new traditions in the USA. An artist and singer, Iitu (soon to be 17) from Finland is a girl youll instantly realize is easy to talk to! Her teachers say she is calm, relaxed, very helpful, and a beautiful singer. Iitu likes to sing in a choir, listen to music, hang out with friends and spend time with her family. She takes art classes and hopes to be a graphic designer...or perhaps a teacher...or perhaps something in media. Still undecided! She hopes she can take art classes in the USA. She enjoys sitting together with her family at dinner, doing outdoorsy activities with them and sharing her day. She loves spending time with her younger sister, and considers her one of her best friends. They love to go shopping, watch series together and all the things that Iitu also likes to do with her friends. Yes, they do sometime have disputes but they can't stay mad at each other long! About her upcoming year, Iitu writes, "I don't know what to expect from my exchange year, but I am really looking forward to it. My most important wish is that I will enjoy my life there and get to spend some time with nice friendly people who accept me as I am." Friendly, hard-working, curious, creative and humorous: those are several ways to describe Georg, 16, from Germany, who would love to teach English and history someday! Are you looking for a son who will adjust well to your family and blend in well? Georg is the son for you. Georg enjoys many subjects in school and all sorts of sports: biking, basketball, badminton and soccer. He's excited about the sports classes in the USA. If you are an active family who participates in sports or enjoys quiet nights at home reading (he's a fan of adventure books) or watching TV, either way Georg would be a great fit for your family. While he doesn't get to spend much time with his family on weekends (due to the family restaurant where he sometimes helps), they do many fun things during the week (bike tours, museum visits, etc.). Georg seems to be the low-key middle child in his family of five. Now, Georg would love to become part of YOUR lifelong family.

More Choices available! Call for what you might be looking for! You can request to read their letters and see their full profiles now. Just contact Barb Kilkka at 248-932-0811 or Kilkka@yfu.org or fill out an online application at www.yfu-usa.org in order to be able to see student photos.

For detailed information on these kids (& OTHERS!), call Barb Kilkka at 248-932-0811 or Kilkka@yfu.org

What kind of families host? Many kinds of families host successfully, with and without children at home, from senior citizens to young couples, large families to single persons, all economic and educational levels They all share an interest in teens and other cultures. You can choose to host for the school year or to be a welcome family, helping your new child get off to a good start for the first 8-12 weeks. Hosting is a rewarding experience that creates lifelong connections. Host families say that the upside rewards can be absolutely huge---and worth the effort you put into hosting! That includes putting another plate on the table or re-arranging the bedrooms/study/ basement or whatever its going to take to make it happen. Its cooking dinner together, raking leaves on Saturday, school activities and homework, holiday preparations, some boring, rainy afternoons, the same long days of work, school, chores, family life, worship but seen through the fresh eyes of someone new, it all takes on a new significance.

For detailed information on these kids (& OTHERS!), call Barb Kilkka at 248-932-0811 or Kilkka@yfu.org