Nacel Open Door having problems finding hosts
By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
Families are needed in the area to host foreign exchange students with Nacel Open Door this fall and the organization hasn’t seen the response this year like it has in the past.
“This might be the first year we don’t have families for the students,” Nacel representative Carrie Martin said. “We have six students to place in southeastern Wisconsin, anywhere where there is a school that will accept a foreign exchange student.”
Martin said the students “come with everything they need” and will pay for their schooling and have money for their personal needs while the host families only need to supply a “bed to sleep in and three meals a day.”
“Usually their parents will set them up with an account they can withdraw from,” she said.
“Host families also get 24-hour support from Nacel,” Martin continued. “I’m on call 24 hours a day, I’m there whenever they need me. I also make monthly connections where I talk to students and host family to make sure everything is going well. And if, for some reason, I’m not available, Nacel has an emergency 800 number.”
The six students Martin is looking to place with families in the area are:
- A 15-year-old girl from Spain, who dreams of becoming a journalist or teacher and loves kids. She’s taking singing lessons and enjoys pop music. Regularly plays basketball, swims and goes horseback riding. She describes herself as being very social and enjoys meeting new people. Other interests include pets, photography, downhill skiing and attending concerts.
- A 16-year-old girl from Spain, who aspires to work in medicine. She plays the guitar and is very active in scouting, loves volunteering and follows environmental issues. Other interests are swimming, badminton, bowling, baseball/softball, bicycling and attending concerts.
- A 17-year-old girl from Mexico, who plans to get a master’s degree in physics, specializing in astronomy. She is also interested in philosophy and writing and said she is drawn to fantasy literature, such as Harry Potter, Battle Royale and even some comics. She likes spending time exercising and listening to the Beatles, pop or classical music. She is learning the guitar and keyboard. She is interested in joining the swim team.
- A 15-year-old boy from Spain who is interested in a career in engineering informatics, relating to computers or video games. He’s an avid rugby player, but is always open to try something new. He enjoys fantasy novels, video games, computers and watching movies and hanging with friends.
- A 15-year-old boy from Kyrgyzstan, who wants to study engineering. He has successfully climbed a mountain, and has chickens for indoor pets. While listening to music he likes to draw, and writes stories about him and his friends. He bikes to each of his activities, which include basketball and soccer, but by far his favorite is swimming.
- A 17-year-old boy from Poland who’s interested in learning about investing in real estate and obtaining a degree in economics or finances. He’s into body-building, cross country, biking, soccer, squash and downhill skiing. Other interests include automotives, guitar, pets, video games and going to the movies.
For more information, contact Martin at (262) 521-1468, (262) 352-2962 or carriemartin1969@outlook.com.
Nacel Open Door is certified with the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel. For more information, visit www.nacelopendoor.org.
