Testimonials
by Host Families
Select any of the testimonials below to read what ICES Host Families have shared about their hosting experience!
Reading testimonials from other American Host Families is a great way to get the inside perspective of what it really means to be an ICES Host Family.
Learn more about the many benefits of welcoming an International High School Student into your home and family.
The process of making a quilt
The process of making a quilt Santiago’s host mom has sent us the story when Santiago undertook the project of redecorating his bedroom (with his host family’s permission) to make it his own. ...
Our Experience with Foreign Exchange Students Through ICES
Our Experience with Foreign Exchange Students Through ICES This is the third school year my family has hosted foreign exchange students. We were a bit hesitant about it at first because we had no ...
She jumped right in and tackled the challenges
She jumped right in and tackled the challenges Yanina is our foreign exchange student form Langquaid, Germany. She has been living with our family in Westville, Indiana for about three months and ...
The perfect example of what an exemplary exchange student should encompass
The perfect example of what an exemplary exchange student should encompass Martina is a 17 year old, bright young lady here for a semester from Italy. Like many exchange students, she was quite ...
Luca fits into our family beautifully
Luca fits into our family beautifully Luca is an absolute gem to have around. She does amazing in school and we never have to prompt her to do homework. She has received lots of excellent ...
To say we have been impressed is an understatement
To say we have been impressed is an understatement This has been our first exchange student 2020 and to say we have been impressed is an understatement. Pol from Barcelona Spain is making his ...
ICES exchange student volunteering with feeding the homeless
ICES exchange student volunteering with feeding the homeless Tonight we took the “Love Shack” out for the first time since March. Our exchange student Jan was so helpful and really enjoyed ...
Jake has changed our family’s views on other cultures
Jake has changed our family’s views on other cultures Jakub is from the Czech Republic, staying in Saginaw Michigan in the small town of Chesaning. Jake has taken huge steps into understanding ...
Adding more stories to our lives
Adding more stories to our lives We have so many stories to tell from our year with our first exchange student, Elisa from Germany. We had never thought about hosting a student until an ICES ...
A hockey player – finally!
A hockey player – finally! We are huge hockey fans. It may seem weird to be hockey fans in the middle of the Mojave Desert – Las Vegas, but many of us here in Vegas came from somewhere else ...
Our very first experience as a host family
Our very first experience as a host family We are a family of 6. We have 3 children of our own 1 boy and 2 girls ages 6,5 and 2 and 1 Foster child age 9. I came across a post on Facebook about ...
Someday I’ll celebrate Mother’s Day
Someday I’ll celebrate Mother’s Day Today is mother’s day! So blessed to know so many great ones and I hope they all had a great day! As a woman who’s battled infertility, ...
Sisters by heart forever
Sisters by heart forever My husband and I are empty nesters and have hosted several double placements but these girls are truly sisters. They have done everything together. They have taken this ...
Youth exchange has changed our life, forever
Youth exchange has changed our life, forever Our family hosted Izzy from Thailand in 2016. She quickly gained the nickname, Yang while she was living with us. We were so blessed to get to have ...
We finally made the choice to be a host family
We finally made the choice to be a host family Our experience with the International exchange program has been absolutely wonderful! We are so glad that we finally made the choice to be a host ...
You’ll have a new member of your family who will forever be a part of you
You’ll have a new member of your family who will forever be a part of you “Last year at this time, we were about a week into being a host family for the very first time. It was not at ...
I highly recommend anyone thinking about hosting to DO IT!
I highly recommend anyone thinking about hosting to DO IT! WOW!!! This has been one of the Best experiences our family could have had with Aileen this past year! I learned a lot about myself and ...
We knew hosting would be different
We knew hosting would be different “I was supposed to have 5-6 more years before I sent a child off to prom. But sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you take a chance on something that ...
Ashley’s volunteer time at Bayside Terrace
Ashley’s volunteer time at Bayside Terrace Today we had the opportunity to learn about Belgium from an amazing exchange student with the International Cultural Exchange Services program ...
American Adventures with Ludo
American Adventures with Ludo I never thought about being a host parent and then one night a Facebook post looking for local host families caught my eye, and on an impulse I replied. In ...
Hosting Alice is the best decision we’ve ever made
Hosting Alice is the best decision we’ve ever made This being our first year hosting, we really didn’t know what to expect. Before Alice arrived we were so nervous and excited. ...
I am so happy that I have these two wonderful girls in my life
I am so happy that I have these two wonderful girls in my life When I agreed to take an exchange student last summer, I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing. However, it was ...
I never thought this experience would impact us as much as it has
I never thought this experience would impact us as much as it has (Testimonial posted on Facebook by the Marsh family in Michigan, 2 days before their exchange student was going back to Italy) ...
Having a foreign exchange student, and being a host sister changed my life
Having a foreign exchange student, and being a host sister changed my life Hello. My name is Ariana. I live in Tampa, Florida and I’m seventeen years old. I’m an American ...
Our experience with this program has been very good
Our experience with this program has been very good Our student is fully fluent in English, German and also speaks French. She spends time sharing her knowledge about her country with us ...
Hosting Maria has been an amazing experience for my family
Hosting Maria has been an amazing experience for my family Tomorrow we take Maria to the airport and send her home to Brazil. 😢 Hosting Maria has been an amazing experience for my ...
This was one of the best decisions we could’ve made for our family
This was one of the best decisions we could’ve made for our family My name is Heather Merriman and this year my family and I decided to invite an exchange student in to our home for the ...
Hosting an exchange student
Hosting an exchange student Hello, I’m Jamie from Michigan and this is our first year to host an exchange student. My family, Randy(dad), Veronica (19), Tylar(12), and Adrianna(4). ...
What a blessing Plai has been
What a blessing Plai has been I have to tell you what a blessing Plai has been. She is a truly honest and thoughtful girl. On Halloween she was getting ready to go trick or treating. I had ...
I had concerns that as empty nesters we’d be boring for Bill
I had concerns that as empty nesters we’d be boring for Bill Our initial plan was to serve as a welcome family, but once we had Bill as a guest in our home it didn’t feel right to bring it ...
What greater joy is there than making a dream come true?
What greater joy is there than making a dream come true? I knew the very moment who I would choose to be my very first student to host when I read his story and heard him speak of his ...
I am so grateful to our friends for opening their hearts and their homes to our family
I am so grateful to our friends for opening their hearts and their homes to our family (Testimonial from a host mom after she spent time in Norway and Germany visiting the natural parents of the ...
Should you host an exchange student? Yes! 100% Yes!
Should you host an exchange student? Yes! 100% Yes! (One of our Texas host mothers wanted to share her experience after taking her exchange student back to the airport.) Should you host an ...
A relationship to last a lifetime
A relationship to last a lifetime “Having three young kids at the time, it was hard to imagine having room or energy for a long term guest. But my family and I decided to open up our ...
Miguel has been a pleasure from day one
Miguel has been a pleasure from day one Wow… Where do we start? Miguel was not our first Exchange student; he happened to be our 3rd student. From the very first glance at his paperwork ...
Our Exchange Experience
Our Exchange Experience We decided to bring our first foreign exchange student into our home in March of 2017. Initially there was some hesitation with the idea. After meeting with the ...
Hosting Federico this year has been a great experience for our entire family and community!
Hosting Federico this year has been a great experience for our entire family and community! We are Italian, so having a student from Italy has been so much fun. We have had opportunities ...
Ellina you have made us better people by sharing your life with us
“Ellina you have made us better people by sharing your life with us” Dear Ellina, Wow! It has been a year since you came to me on that cold, snowy night in January, 2017. ...
Natasha has been all smiles
Natasha has been all smiles Sadly, I failed being on time at the airport to meet and greet our newest family member, but from that first moment on, Natasha has been all smiles. She just ...
Hosting Paloma from Spain was one of the best decisions our family has ever made!
Hosting Paloma from Spain was one of the best decisions our family has ever made! One day as I was scrolling through Facebook I had seen an article about the need of host families by ICES. ...
It’s amazing and such a sweet experience
It’s amazing and such a sweet experience! My name is Renata and my family looked into the student exchange program for the first time this year, it’s amazing and such a sweet experience! ...
Seeing our world through his eyes
Seeing our world through his eyes We have hosted several short term exchange students with varying success. As the 2017-8 school year approached this past August, an opportunity presented ...
“We’re keeping him, right?”
“We’re keeping him, right?” Our family has hosted twelve students over the past 10 years, plus other short stays. It’s been very positive for our family and we feel ...
Maja has been a blessing from the beginning
Maja has been a blessing from the beginning Hello, My name is Candice Pias. This is a note about our family’s experience with hosting an exchange student over the last year. My ...
4th year hosting and it just gets better each time
4th year hosting and it just gets better each time This our 4th year hosting and it just gets better each time. We have loved our time with Breanna, and know that we have made a lifelong ...
Double the Fun!
Double the Fun! My husband, son, and I are hosting Martin from Argentina and Nadine from Brazil. Both Martin and Nadine are just here for 5 months. They both leave in a few weeks and we ...
‘Tis the Season!
‘Tis the Season! This holiday season has been even more special thanks to our Danish Exchange Student Morten and his family! They sent us a package in November that contained their Danish ...
In Touch with Nature
In Touch with Nature When I began communicating with our most recent exchange student (Oskar from Germany), I was very curious as to why he had asked to be placed somewhere on the western ...
Thank you with all of my heart!
Thank you with all of my heart! One month ago we hugged goodbye to my lovely and brave daughter, Julie, who is now an Exchange student in Imlay City, Michigan, USA. She is under the wings ...
An exciting two weeks in America surviving a hurricane
An exciting two weeks in America surviving a hurricane Exchange students, Mie and Madeleine have had an exciting two weeks in America surviving a hurricane. After two days of school, Mie ...
Ti has been such a blessing …
Ti has been such a blessing … (text message from a host dad to the ICES Field Manager) We did a 15.50 mile bicycle ride on the Armstrong Trail yesterday. We went all the way to Lock & ...
we knew right away…
we knew right away that it was something that we were being called to explore and do… For anyone pondering if they should become a host family, I would suggest that you do it. ...
Our advice to those thinking about hosting…
Our advice to those thinking about hosting… DO IT! Being a host family has been one of the biggest blessings we have encountered. It’s much more than proving room and board. ...
The memories and excursions will last a lifetime…
The memories and excursions will last a lifetime until we meet up again and make more… I want to share the privilege of having been the host family for Tailyn (Tay). She came to us from ...
We had 3 girls the same age living under one roof
“we had 3 girls the same age living under one roof” When I was asked to write a short letter sharing our experience with hosting a foreign exchange student, I was honored. Our experience ...
Solveig, from Norway, has definitely become a part of the Shockley family
Solveig, from Norway, has definitely become a part of the Shockley family “She never really became homesick. It was almost like she had known us her whole life; she just fit right ...
Hosting an exchange student was nothing our family had planned …
Hosting an exchange student was nothing our family had planned … … until coming across an ICES post and learning about all of the wonderful students waiting for families. And from that ...
Teenagers are fun! They get you moving, thinking, and learning in new ways …
“Teenagers are fun! They get you moving, thinking, and learning in new ways …” What more could a middle-aged, newlywed, childless couple ask for in an exchange student than our charming ...
Little did I know how exciting and rewarding my life would become
Little did I know how exciting and rewarding my life would become ‘What a difference a year makes’ is perhaps a trite and over-used expression in America but oh so true in my ...
We could not be happier about deciding to have a foreign exchange student
We could not be happier about deciding to have a foreign exchange student We were nervous about how well our two young boys would adapt to a new roommate, but they absolutely love it! My ...
Hosting an exchange student has been an amazing experience…
Hosting an exchange student has been an amazing experience… … for my family, but it can be challenging at times. You think everyone teaches their children the same way you ...
My first Mother’s Day
“On this day a year ago I was the only “adult” woman sitting in church watching all the other mothers line up to be recognized. It hurt my feelings because I didn’t know ...
Being A Host Family
Being a host family. It is now the middle of May and in just a couple of weeks Alberto will leave to go home to Spain. We have had a wonderful year with him in our home and he has truly ...
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a new host family?
Here is a great story from one of our new host mothers this year in Arkansas – and how this has changed her life. “Late last summer a friend of mine told me she was hosting a foreign ...
To Host… or Not to Host
Host what? Foreign Exchange Students! Why? We would like to share this nice article written by one of our ICES host mothers in Iowa. Linda Deutmeyer was host mom of senior student Victoria ...
The power of One
By Misty Howse, Gui’s host mother and ICES Local Coordinator in Alabama I yelled from the sidelines, so excited, as Guilherme (Gui) scored the first two goals of the game for ...
Chaos? What Chaos?
The Weiler family experience hosting a foreign exchange student Four kids, two in high school and two in grade school; a farm with around 75 animals, not counting the dog and two cats; all ...
It has to be hard – It cannot be easy
It has to be hard – It cannot be easy It always amazes me how teenagers from foreign countries can go to a totally different culture, live with total strangers, go to school and ...
“Hosting is a blessing – It opens your minds and hearts to a whole new world”
“Hosting is a blessing – It opens your minds and hearts to a whole new world” Hello ! We are Teresa and Scott Kelly from a small town in West Virginia called Nettie. We have been ...
Our Life Through Fresh Eyes
Our Life Through Fresh Eyes Our family decided in Spring 2015 to host an exchange student for the 2015-2016 school year. When we started telling friends and family, we kept getting asked ...
“It has been amazing too see how well they have just fit into our family …”
“It has been amazing too see how well they have just fit into our family …” Introducing… The newest members to the Jackson’s … (now a household of 8) Yes we are crazy, but we ...
They come to you as a stranger…
They come to you as a stranger, but leave as a loved one. Each of us learning from the other. We take note of all the qualities. We note that all are positive. We wonder if she is happy. We hear ...
A sister for Nyasia
A sister for Nyasia Getting to the point of hosting my first exchange student is truly a funny story. I applied with ICES in early January 2013 and the application sat in a draft state ...