More Copper Country families needed to host ICES students
TV 6 / Upper Michigan’s Source, Houghton, Michigan, February 6, 2020
by Remi Murrey
When Amelie Adler heard she’d spend a year in the UP, she didn’t know how to react.
Not because she feared moving away from home, but because she didn’t know it existed.
“It was kind of surprising to me because I expected like a bigger city,” explained Adler.
But she adjusted, and says this experience is one she’ll never forget.
“I love it so much, it’s great. I’ve met a lot of new people, and they’re all really, really great especially up here,” she said.
Adler faced several challenges along the way when it came to the Copper Country’s winter conditions, being far from family and understanding certain English concepts.
“It’s different for them. I mean there isn’t any exchange student that I’ve seen that has experienced the kind of snow we get,” said Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan Field Manager, Lauren Scherr.
But Adler says having her host family’s and Scherr’s support gave her comfort.
“When it comes to like Lauren, I can tell her all my problems and is always there for me,” she said.
Adler wants more students to have similar experiences like she did.
But first, it starts with Copper Country families opening their doors, which Scherr says they need more people to do.
“Just hoping to keep growing, to get into some of those schools where right now we don’t have any students and to really just promote this cool exchange, and share our culture with other kids,” said Scherr.
For more information about hosting or working with ICES, click here.
