On March 17, Hamburg Area High School hosted German foreign exchange students. One student who was kind enough to host was Amelia Gassert. She states, “I had been asked if I wanted to host a German exchange student, and at first I was not sure how it would work since I am not in German classes. However, I had a conversation with my parents and they were excited to host.” Amelia hosted Charlotte, a sophomore German foreign exchange student. To prepare for hosting, she asked Charlotte if she wanted anything specific, such as food or snacks, and cleaned up the room Charlotte stayed in. Amelia notes, “I got along well with Charlotte. It was a little awkward for the first two days, but after that we had built such a strong bond with each other.” 

     Hosting a foreign exchange student is a memorable and exciting experience. Amelia states, “I enjoyed it so much! It was like hanging out with a friend for 11 days. One of the best experiences of high school.” Her favorite part of the experience was meeting a new person from a different country and being able to make such a close connection with a new friend. Her only complaint about hosting was that she wishes it could have lasted longer. She comments, “It felt like it was over so quickly, but the amount of time was uncontrollable because they had to go back home eventually.” The German students departed for home on March 28 over the spring break. 

     Amelia found the experience to be very beneficial, stating, “I feel the experience was extremely beneficial because of meeting new people and learning about different cultures. It has opened my eyes to the world in Germany and how different yet similar it can be to our culture.” She would love to host again and would recommend hosting a foreign exchange student to anyone who is interested or considering doing so. As a piece of advice for those who are interested in hosting, Amelia suggests, “They should go through all of the requirements and make sure it is for them, and then go from there.” 

     Hamburg Area High School is hosting more foreign exchange students in October, so consider hosting someone and making a new friend! Contact Mrs. Stevens for information to host.