By BOB and SUSAN FUSELIERFor the past two years, Susan and I have been host parents for two amazing young adults from overseas. It is an understatement to say our lives have been greatly enriched by this opportunity. In addition to the privilege of sharing their lives for almost year, we became members of their families through Skype. The benefits to us are hard to enumerate, but include learning the customs and some of the language of those from another country, discussing our differences (some) and similarities (many), seeing the world from a different perspective, and enjoying the presence of a teenager who has not the handicap of being your own offspring.
Both students were sponsored and highly vetted by a State Department program. The program is extremely competitive, as exemplified by the quality of the students who make it to the US.
The local representative of the program has informed me that they are in need of host families for three students for the 2014-2015 academic year (the students arrive mid-August). Each student was one of 20 finalists out of a pool of 300 + applicants. Their selections were based on grades, performance in school, community service work and leadership skills.
We highly recommend that you consider hosting one of these students. Host families can be single parents, singles with no children, empty nesters, or couples with children of any age. The students receive a monthly stipend from the US Department of State and have full medical insurance. The basic financial burden for the host family is the cost of food.
If you’re interested in pursuing the possibility of becoming a host family, please feel free to call us at our office at 505.662.6622.
Thanks for considering this great opportunity.
