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This post was written by Ryan Allen, a representative of Sara’s Homestay.
Daniel and his mother, Rochel, arrive in Rome, a city they have never been to before to celebrate his recent graduation. Instead of wandering around the ancient capital aimlessly, looking for the crowded tourist attractions, the son leads them to the open arms and friendly smiles of two locals.
“Ciao!” “Ciao!” They greet each other.
These are friends of Daniel’s, with whom he has remained in contact ever since they met in 2009 when one of these Italian girls did a homestay with the Brooklyn-based family.
“We first started hosting in 2009. Some of our first students were from Italy, Ludivca and Maria. My son has stayed in touch with them ever since,” said Frank, Daniel’s father. “We have always been invited to many places. This was the first time that they have finally got to go, meeting after four years finally. ”
Frank, Rochel, and Daniel’s family participate as hosts for international students through Sara’s Homestay. A homestay family invites international students into their home while they study in the U.S., and these students become another member of the family—eating meals together, chatting casually, going on family outings. These families are opening their homes to the world, preparing their children for a future without borders.
“Meeting people from different cultures is the best education you can give someone. My son has met people from Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, China, Korea, countries from all over the world,” said Frank. “He is on Facebook all the time with them now. This is the way to get an education. This is way to get diversity with culture, with food, with interaction.”
The advantages of a homestay arrangement are mutually beneficial. The international student gets to experience a real American home, practices their English, and becomes a part of an extended family.
For the host family, hosting a student adds an international perspective in the comfort of their own home. The international student also becomes a potential language or cultural exchange partner for their child. Overall, the positive impact in an important developmental stage in their child’s life cannot be quantified.
Daniel has found that having these different students in his home has improved his ability to communicate with people of various cultures. Frank said that his son picked up quite a bit of Spanish after they hosted a Mexican student. These language skills are crucial in the continuously interdependent world.
“It’s something I wanted to do for my son. It’s a cultural diversity and most young people don’t get that. If they are from Brooklyn, then they only know Brooklyn. If they are from Staten Island then they only know Staten Island.”
As the mother and son return from Italy, back to their New York home, they find Frank with a new student, an executive from Japan. Wasting no time, Daniel takes the executive out to explore New York City, adding to his international repertoire.
“My son has become a tour guide for many of the students. Right now, we have a Japanese executive here learning English. My son takes him to the city, over the Brooklyn Bridge, and has shown him the different sites. He loves showing him places,” said Frank.
Their family has certainly taken advantage of the opportunity to host international students. With friends dotting the globe, Daniel has now become quite the world citizen, and it all started in 2009 with his father deciding to host a couple of Italian girls in their spare bedroom.
Sara’s Homestay is an accommodation and student service provider which started operations in 2001. Since the Company’s founding, it has rapidly grown, serving over 10,000+ students per year originating from 40+ different countries. Sara’s is now one of the market leaders in homestay services and accommodations.
The Benefits of Hosting an International Student for Your Child is a post from: NYC Private Schools Blog
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