PAX-International Student Exchange-What's New





		Host a 2008-09 PAX Student in Your Community Manon from Belgium This enterprising girl is known for her smile and dedication to work. She holds two jobs, one as a sales clerk and another as a waitress. At school she takes four languages and maintains excellent grades. Daniel from Venezuela A big sports fan, Daniel plays on basketball, baseball and soccer teams. He loves getting together with extended family and sharing activities. At school, his teacher writes that he is “responsible, respectful and dedicated.” Manon, Daniel and students like them will be arriving in September. PAX will be very happy to help you select the student who is just right for you and your family. For more information on hosting,click here. Teacher of the Day Abubakarr Kamara enlightens Colorado students about life in Sierra Leone, a West African country similar in size and population to Missouri. On Stage These YES students wowed an audience in Washington, DC where they performed in a talent show. Katreena Tatu sang a Filipino song a cappella and Yeyen performed an Indonesian dance. Ready, Set, Go With a little help from host father Gordon Fetter, Filipino Juliene Caiso masters the art of bike riding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Spreading Smiles “I like helping people because someday I will need to be helped,” says Matheus Almeida who works everyday at lunch assisting students in the special education classroom of his Iowa high school. “Mat has been delightful,” raves the teacher Erin Payne-Christiansen.
	Changing Misconceptions KCRG News in Cedar Rapids, Iowa interviewed PAX exchange students in Coordinator Rayetta Fetter’s cluster about the role exchange plays in breaking stereotypes. The reporter met with the group after their session with Mayor Kay Halloran. Pictured isYESEgyptian student Shady El-Faham explaining how Americans have been very friendly and inclusive during his exchange year. Before he arrived in the US, he was concerned about misconceptions Americans might hold about Arabs and Muslims.
	My Second Family “My mom, dad and Katie treat me like a real daughter instead of an exchange student. The time with my host family was the greatest and happiest time in my life,” says South Korean Yunhye Oh who lives with the Krenzke family in Missouri. “I have never felt that living with a host family was hard because we talk about everything all of the time.
	Crossing Generations “This spring during my vacation I visited my father’s former host mom in Michigan. My father was an exchange student exactly 40 years ago,” says Tabitha Gottlieb from Germany. “The last time I saw her was when I was five years old so this time it was quite different and amazing. She has been like a third grandmother to me.” Perhaps one day Tabitha will introduce her future children to her host family, the Fullingtons!
	Rebuilding New Orleans While working at a construction site, FLEX student Anastasiya Butenko learned how rewarding it is to make a hands on contribution to families in need. The Russian student, who lives with the Grant family in Texas, exclaimed, “People came up to us and said thank you! The trip to New Orleans was one of the best weeks of my exchange year. It doesn't matter what country you are from or what language you speak, nothing can keep you from making a difference.”
	American School Spirit “Although I am not graduating here, I feel school spirit just like my classmates. I have never seen such a spirit before because in my school in India we have to wear uniforms and never have such cool weeks like Spirit Week,” Ipshita Guha tells us. “During Spirit Week, we had a class color day where each grade wore a different color. As I am a junior, I wore red and painted my face red.” Ipshita is spending her year with the Vasavada family in Maryland.
	A Lesson in Politics Governor Jim Douglas greeted Coordinator Ann Newsmith’s cluster at the Vermont State House. IndonesianYES student Anggita Paramesti recounts, “We met with representatives and senators, too! They were all very welcoming and friendly to us. We were able to watch the meetings going on. It showed us that the way government works here is pretty transparent.” Pictured are Ismi Safeya (Indonesia), Aubrey Castaneda (Philippines), Governor Douglas, Anggita and Omar Galil (Egypt).
We Really Aren’t That Different Our lives on a farm in Indiana have been forever changed since the arrival of our PAX student. Crystabel Low arrived in January coming from Malaysia. Tom and I had never hosted a foreign exchange student before. We had no idea what to expect. I have heard all of the stories both good and the not so good. Crystabel has meshed with our family immediately. She is a joy to have around. The kids have taken to her and we have absorbed her into our family as if we have had her for years. In the last two weeks, we have gone to the movies, a boy’s varsity basketball game, a girl’s basketball game, a Wal-Mart and out for dinner. She readily helps in the house. She has tried each and every new food we have made. She also works really hard at her schoolwork. She is making friends at school quickly. She is very responsible. Her favorite thing to see so far is the snow that has come and gone so quickly. She also loves our sunsets. We have learned that there is unseen beauty in our own back yard. There are treasures in our own community that have been missed. There are opportunities that have not been taken advantage of. Although our families were raised on opposite sides of the world, as people we really aren’t that different. Our culture differences should be shared and embraced for educational purposes. With will, love and open mindedness, all differences can be overcome and understood. I know our family will forever be changed when Crystabel goes home. I also believe we will stay in contact. Thank you for allowing us the privilege of hosting her. -Teresa Metz Host mother for Crystabel Low (Malaysia) Indiana Flowers for Friends Being a part of Girl Scout Troop 379 this year is one of the greatest things that I have experienced while in the U.S.A. Our scout leader, Tina DeMoore, who is my host mom, let me join the troop to experience scouting in America and to fulfill my community service commitment. Currently, our troop is conducting a project called “Flowers for Friends” in which we reassemble donated flowers from churches, weddings, regional conferences and funerals into smaller arrangements and deliver them to people in need of a smile in nursing homes, hospitals, infusion centers and other non-profit locations of need. Our primary recipients are community elders. Our team is divided into three groups who work separately every week on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons. One of my most unforgettable experiences during this project so far was when we visited and delivered flowers to the veterans who served on D-Day during World War II. While we sang “God Bless America”, I saw some of them crying, maybe because they still have memories of the war so long ago. Seeing these people begin to smile and express gratitude was very rewarding. It’s so wonderful knowing that we made a difference in their lives. I’m so thankful that, as a Filipino, I’ve made difference in an American community. -Sittie Omayra Angkal (Philippines) Hosted by the DeMoore Rettstadt family Michigan To learn more about hosting, click here.