2015 Participant Bios Sheet

You could bring a student like one of these into your home!
Paula
from Argentina
Vanesa
from Argentina
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Paula is a very hard working and

dedicated young woman who
always has one eye on the future.
She takes her studies very
seriously, and always makes sure
that she's doing the best that she
can do. Even outside of the
classroom, Paula makes sure to
put everything into the things that
she loves. In her spare time,
Paula dances 4-5 times a week,
especially when she gets to do
modern and jazz dance. At the
moment, she hopes to combine
her passion for singing and
dancing to maybe become an
actress when she gets older.
When she's not hard at work,
Paula enjoys spending time with
her younger siblings.
Oregan
from Australia
16 years
Year
Vanesa is an open-minded,
straightforward and respectful
young woman who loves animals
and the outdoors. She is
passionate about horsebackriding and loves being around
horses because they're beautiful
and they raise her self-esteem.
She also loves to play soccer
even though it's not common for
girls to play where she lives; she
had to wait a long time before
there was a girls team. Vanesa
likes healthy food and enjoys
seeing a variety of beautifully
colored vegetables on her plate
every day. In school she likes
gym, math and biology, and in the
future she wants to be a vet or
agronomist.
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Program length:
Semester
Oregan is a confident, fun, honest

and outgoing young woman who
likes to get involved in everything.
She's kind and very communityoriented, loves to volunteer and
isn't afraid to get dirty. She enjoys
sports with team skills like rugby
and field hockey and she also
loves individual sports like scuba
diving where she can push her
limits. Her favorite subjects are
geography, sport science and
woodworking, because they're fun
and engaging. In the future,
Oregan would like to join the
Navy where she will serve her
country with pride and always
have new skills to learn and
challenges to encounter.
For more information, contact:

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
Email: KSouthard@afsusa.org
www.afsusa.org/host-family
1-800-AFS-INFO
Jack
from Australia
Clara
from Brazil
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Jack is sunny, responsible, kind

and broadminded young man. He
is exposed to a lot of cultural and
current events and activism
through his politically active
mother, and he thrives on it. He
likes going to lectures, museums,
concerts and environmental
festivals with her and watches
political satire on his own. He's
making a documentary for his
mom right now. Jack is interested
in science and technology and is
especially intrigued by video
game development. He likes
math, cooking, playing sports with
his friends and going to school. In
the future he wants to learn more
about media technologies.
Alexandre
from Brazil
15 years
Year
Clara is an enthusiastic, funny,

loyal and responsible young
woman who is not afraid of going
outside her comfort zone in order
to have new adventures. She
loves animals and gets to go
horseback riding once a week. It
makes her so happy and
energizes her for the whole rest of
the week. Clara's favorite place in
the world is the beach because
she loves summer and the sea.
She enjoys reading romances
and traveling to places she's
never been. Clara admires her
mother for being a dedicated,
hard worker, and she hopes that
with patience and care she can
become successful in business
herself.
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Program length:
Year
Alexandre is a kind, active and

affectionate young man who
cares for the well-being of his
whole family, including his pets.
He loves being active and has
practiced a lot of sports, from
soccer to tennis to ping pong to
muay thai fighting and
bodybuilding. Alexandre makes
friends easily and quickly
becomes comfortable around
others. In his spare time he likes
to read, play games with his
family and play video games with
friends. Alexandre stays calm and
focused when facing a challenge,
knowing concentration will see
him through.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
arthur
from Brazil
Arianne
from Canada
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Arthur is funny and outgoing. He

is always happy and adapts well
to new situations. Arthur has a
great relationship with his family;
he especially tries to set a good
example for his little brother who
really looks up to him. In his spare
time Arthur likes to play sports,
especially soccer! He does well in
school and hopes to become a
journalist some day. Arthur's
father, a former exchange
student, inspired him to follow in
his foot steps. During his year
abroad Arthur is really looking
forward to improving his English,
making lots of friends, and
learning about different cultures.
Yuyin
from China
17 years
Year
Arianne's friends and family

describe her as funny, curious,
hardworking, loyal, and
respectful. She loves to try new
things and she is very adaptable.
She has a great relationship with
her sister and mother; they are
always there for each other.
Arianne is very artistic and
creative; in her spare time she
likes to do scrapbooking, work out
at the gym, go skiing in the winter,
and take her dog for a walk.
Arianne also has a part time job
at a restaurant. Fashion is
Arianne's main passion and in the
future she hopes to study
marketing at a university and then
get a job in the fashion industry.
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Program length:
Year
Yuyin's friends and family

describe her as outgoing, helpful,
and kind. She loves spending
time with parents and friends and
she always tries to be considerate
of others. Whenever she needs
help or advice, she doesn't
hesitate to ask her parents. In her
spare time she loves to sing, play
the piano, and paint. She also
enjoys playing badminton,
swimming, playing volleyball, and
reading. During the holidays she
really loves traveling with her
parents. Yuyin gets excellent
grades in school and also serves
as the vice monitor of her class.
In the future she hopes to
become a psychologist.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Yiwei
from China
Sofie
from Denmark
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Yiwei, or Fiona, is a sweet,

outgoing and affectionate young
woman who likes to be part of big
projects, making sure they go off
without a hitch. Her broadcast
league at school makes videos for
other student groups, and she
takes pictures and operates the
sound equipment during school
festivals. She loves to bake and is
proud that when she brings
sweets to school they are always
gone in minutes! Fiona volunteers
with kids in need and in her spare
time relaxes by watching movies
or hanging out with her friends.
Fiona wants to be a fashion
designer and has a lot of
confidence in her future.
Signe
from Denmark
15 years
Year
Sofie is a positive, kind and

adventurous young woman who
loves being creative! She draws,
paints, and designs her own
houses, both inside and out. She
finds architecture very interesting,
and may want to be an architect
or interior designer in future. Sofie
also plays handball and loves it
because it's both social and
physical. She likes going to
school and is dedicated to her
studies because she wants to
open as many doors for her future
as possible. She loves the ocean
and being at the beach. In her
downtime enjoys watching and
analyzing movies and TV shows
and the worlds they create.
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Program length:
Year
Signe is active, tolerant, and

adventurous. She is open minded
and curious about different
cultures, and loves to learns new
things. Her family is very close
and she is especially close to her
older brother. They often play
together and they hardly ever
fight. Signe has many interests
and likes to stay busy. In her
spare time she likes to draw,
cook, play the piano, and teach
swimming. Recently she has also
tried out archery, martial arts,
theater, soccer, and hip hop
dance. Signe is excited to study
abroad! She is looking forward to
meeting new people and learning
about different cultures.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Frederikke
from Denmark
Joan
from Spain
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Frederikke is open minded and

flexible. She is very close with her
friends and family, and
appreciates her relationships very
much. She really values good
communication. She has a big
family, which she loves!
Everybody is different but they all
respect and appreciate one
another. In her spare time she
likes to play badminton, go
running, work out at the gym, and
travel. She is also active with the
girl scouts. Frederikke isn't
exactly sure what she wants to do
in the future but she knows that
she wants to something that will
allow her to help others and give
back to the community.
Paul
from Germany
16 years
Year
Joan is a cheerful, polite and

affectionate young man with a
well-balanced character. Family is
really important to him; he enjoys
being protective of his two
younger sisters, and he shares
special secrets with his
grandmother. Joan's favorite
sport is tennis and he also likes to
ride his bike, play soccer, jog, ski
and swim. He loves playing board
games with his family and going
to the movies with his friends. He
appreciates being outside closer
to nature. Joan loves Harry Potter
films. His favorite color is orange
and his favorite food is pasta.
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Program length:
Year
Paul is a calm, helpful, curious

and cooperative young man who
develops a deep passion for
things once he becomes
interested in them. His two main
hobbies are tramway cars and
ballroom dancing. He's part of a
weekly dance class and is a
proud and active member of a
tramway club that helps renovate
old tramway cars and preserve
their unique histories. Paul also
loves family quality time and
really values when they all come
together at dinner or on
vacations. He has worked hard to
earn and save the money for this
exchange, and is really looking
forward to being part of an
American family.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Luise
from Germany
Artur
from Germany
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Luise's friends and family

describe her as honest, helpful,
independent, and reliable. She's a
good listener and she loves to
have fun. Her family is very close;
Luise often takes care of her little
brother and she loves to go
shopping with her mother. Luise
has many interests and hobbies;
her main passion is swimming.
She practices with her team
several times a week and goes to
competitions as well. She also
enjoys diving, going to the
theater, playing the flute,
horseback riding, hiking with her
grandparents, and hanging out
with her friends. In the future
Luise hopes to become a
pharmacist.
Nora
from Germany
16 years
Year
Artur is a warm, outgoing, helpful

and creative young man who
really likes art. He spends a lot of
his spare time painting, and in
particular he enjoys abstract art.
He's also musical, enjoys playing
classical and jazz on the
saxophone and listening to pop
music. He plays volleyball on his
school's team, and likes to ride
his electric longboard down the
street, where it tends to draw
some attention. Artur likes
biology, chemistry and physics
best at school, and in the future
he hopes to be a doctor. He's
learning three foreign languages
and hopes to be able to treat
people all over the world.
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Program length:
Year
Nora's friends and family describe

her as calm, polite, and friendly.
She gets along well with her
parents and sisters; they love to
travel together. Nora and her
sisters all enjoy playing music.
Nora plays the flute in the
orchestra and sings in a choir.
While music is her main passion
she also likes to play soccer,
read, and hang out with her
friends. She always makes sure
to prioritize her school work as
well. Nora is really looking
forward to experiencing daily life
in the United States. She also
hopes to improve her English,
meet lots of different kinds of
people, and try new things.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Marek
from Germany
Eric
from Germany
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Marek is friendly, helpful,

sensitive, reliable, and kind. He is
a team player and likes to make
people happy. He gets along well
with his family and especially
loves to spend time playing with
his little brother. Marek's main
passion is playing basketball; his
team practices several times a
week and plays games on the
weekend. He also enjoys going
swimming, playing soccer,
watching movies, and going
skating. At school Marek does
very well and his favorite subjects
are English and social science.
Marek is really looking forward to
meeting his host family and
experiencing life in the USA.
Eileen
from Germany
16 years
Year
Eric's friends and family describe

him as friendly, helpful, sociable,
funny, and reliable. He is flexible,
adapts well to new situations, and
makes new friends easily. He has
a great relationship with his family
and really enjoys spending time
with his parents and brother.
Playing sports is Eric's main
passion; he plays soccer,
basketball, and goes running. He
also enjoys hanging out with
friends, going shopping, playing
video games, and reading. In the
future Eric hopes to study
business at the university and
work in the food industry. He can't
wait to learn all about American
culture!
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Program length:
Year
Eileen is a sensitive, honest,

organized and ambitious young
woman who's passionate about
sports and has competed in
cross-country skiing for years.
She believes that sports can
inspire people, change minds and
bring people together. In addition
to skiing she enjoys track, dance,
mountaineering, tennis and
rollerblading. Eileen loves being
outdoors and camping; one of her
proudest moments was sleeping
in an igloo she built herself. She
tutors elementary school children
and this work makes her very
happy. In the future she wants to
work in sport management,
promoting healthy and positive
lives.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Wai Sum
from Hong Kong
Anna
from Iceland
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Wai Sum is outgoing, bright,

active, and open-minded. He
loves to meet new people and
share his thoughts and feelings
with others. He gets along very
well with his parents; whenever
he is unable to solve a problem,
he asks them for advice. School
is very important to him and he
gets excellent grades; his favorite
subjects are chemistry,
economics, and biology. In his
spare time Wai Sum enjoys
playing table tennis, basketball,
running, and painting. Wai Sum is
very curious about the world and
during his year abroad he is really
looking forward to learning all
about American culture.
Reo
from Japan
16 years
Year
Anna is a happy, active and

adventurous young woman who's
full of smiles and openly
discusses whatever is on her
mind. She likes being outdoors,
eating healthy and living a very
healthy lifestyle in general. She
loves sports and devotes much of
her time to her dance training,
team gymnastics practices and
skiing competitions. Anna loves
shopping, big cities, hot weather
and beaches! She also greatly
enjoys traveling with her family on
vacations, and feels privileged to
get to meet lots of exciting new
people. She was excited and
proud to win an acting talent show
last year with her friends.
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Program length:
Year
Reo is hard working, sincere, and

honest. Her mother says that she
has a strong sense of justice. Reo
has a great time with her parents
and younger brother; they love to
hang out together and tell jokes.
On the weekends they like to go
jet skiing and snowboarding
together. School is very important
to Reo and she always focuses
on her homework. In her spare
time she likes to perform tea
ceremony, which she hopes to
share with her host family. She
also likes playing sports and
drawing. Reo is very interested in
fostering communication between
cultures and someday she hopes
to become a diplomat.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Hikaru
from Japan
Hanako
from Japan
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Hikaru is active and enthusiastic!

While she loves to run around
and play sports, she can also be
calm and quiet. In fact, among her
family she often takes the role of
the listener. Hikaru and her
mother are very close; they talk
all the time and in some ways are
almost like sisters. In addition to
school and family life, sports are
very important to Hikaru. She
loves playing together with her
friends and trying hard to be the
best teammate she can be. Her
favorite sports are basketball,
soccer, track and field, and
dance. She hopes to be able to
continue playing sports during her
time abroad.
Rika
from Japan
16 years
Year
Hanako, who goes by the name

Kathy, is active, independent, and
positive. Whenever her friends or
family members are depressed,
she tries to be supportive and
offer good advice. Her family is
very close; her father often takes
Kathy and her sister on day trips
and Kathy always helps out her
mother with the housework. Kathy
especially likes to help her mother
with the cooking, which has
become one of her biggest
passions! She is a member of the
cooking club at school and really
enjoys improvising when she
cooks. In her spare time Kathy
enjoys listening to music and
watching American movies.
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Program length:
Year
Rika is a calm, responsible and

sensitive young woman with an
undying passion for art. She's
loved art ever since she can
remember and finds contentment
in both learning and creating it,
especially drawing and painting.
Rika loves to delve into the world
of books, adventuring along with
characters in stories. She also
finds great joy in exploring nature
and loves to hike, jog, snorkel and
ski when she gets the chance.
She plays volleyball at school and
strives to do her best on every
school assignment. In the future
she wants to become an
international doctor and help
people.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Takeru
from Japan
Ingeborg
from Norway
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Takeru is outgoing and

considerate. His friends and
family say that he is a hard
worker and a good leader. His
family is very close and
supportive of each other. Takeru
often talks with his mother about
things that are going on in his life
and he always appreciates her
good advice. Takeru loves to do
things with others. He is the
captain of his soccer team and
also participates in an
international student program that
organizes conferences about
various social issues. Whenever
he works with others, Takeru tries
to encourage them to be
respectful and to value different
viewpoints.
Rina Elisabeth
from Norway
16 years
Year
Ingeborg is positive, friendly,

warm, and loyal. She tries to look
on the bright side of things and be
positive even in the face of
hardship. She is very close to her
family and has a great time with
her brother and sister, even tough
they like to tease each other
sometimes. Whenever she needs
advice, she always talks to her
father. In her spare time Ingeborg
loves to spend time with her
friends. Ingeborg also loves
horses and participates in
horseback riding competitions.
During her year abroad she is
hoping to become more
independent, improve her
English, and make lots of new
friends!
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Program length:
Year
Rina Elisabeth is happy, caring,

and kind. Her friends and family
also describe her as helpful,
conscientious, and outspoken.
She is very close with her family
and they love to spend time
together and take vacations
during the holidays. Whenever
she has anything that bothers her,
Rina Elisabeth talks to her
parents and always appreciates
their support. In her spare time
she likes to read, watch movies,
and hang out with her friends. Her
biggest passion these days is
theater. She takes drama classes
and loves to perform with her
theater group. She is also
interested in animal rights issues.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Ingvild
from Norway
Stine Sofie
from Norway
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Ingvild is thoughtful, open

minded, kind, and curious. She
believes strongly in the power of
the imagination and thinks
seriously about things that are
going on in the world. Even
though she and her parents don't
always agree, they always
respect each other and talk about
everything. Ingvild works hard in
school and gets very good
grades. School is important to her
and her favorite subject is social
science. She loves to learn about
people from different cultures and
how they live. In her spare time
Ingvild loves to hang out with her
friends, read, and go for long
walks in the forest.
Thea
from Norway
17 years
Year
Stine is a caring, curious, social

and fun-loving young woman who
loves to laugh and never says no
to someone's request for help.
She has enjoyed playing many
different sports and hopes to try
many more in her life. Right now
she just plays handball, but she
dreams of learning how to surf.
Stine expects a lot from herself at
school, especially in her favorite
subjects: math, natural science
and PE. Her parents
acknowledge her healthy
competitive spirit and say she's
always kept up with her brother,
step for step, despite his being
older. In the future Stine plans to
study engineering.
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Program length:
Year
Thea is a fun, adventurous,

positive and caring young woman
who likes exploring the world but
also enjoys warm family
gatherings and quality time with
those she cares for. She used to
play soccer and now plays
handball; she loves her team's
spirit and how close and
supportive they are of each other.
In her free time she does
homework and gets together with
friends. They make food, play
board games, go to movies, and
sometimes just sit and talk for
hours. In the future, Thea wants
to go to university and possibly be
part of the fashion industry or
maybe a magazine editor.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Fredrik
from Norway
Vilde
from Norway
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Pia
from Norway
16 years
Year
Vilde is a cheerful, caring,

responsible and creative young
woman who loves playing the
piano. When she's making music
she feels free; she just does what
she likes most and what feels
right. Vilde works out regularly at
the gym and loves hanging out
with her three best friends. She
enjoys going to school every day,
and her favorite subject is math
because she likes having
concrete answers to questions.
Vilde likes baking cakes and
enjoys hiking with her family when
they're on vacation. At home, she
likes it when they have family
dinners that include good
discussions.
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Program length:
Year
Pia is a kind, outgoing and

responsible young woman who's
been dreaming of being an
exchange student in America for
years. She's proud of how
beautiful Norway is and loves
outdoor activities skiing, sailing
and being at the beach. Pia is
close to her family, and people
often tell her how wonderful it is to
see her positive relationship with
her older brother. She used to
play soccer but doesn't play any
sports right now. She likes
listening to music and hanging out
with friends. Pia works hard and
focuses at school, where her
favorite subjects are history,
English, and social studies.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Monika
from Norway
Tonje Evelyn
from Norway
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Monika is very positive and

outgoing. She loves animals, gets
along well with her family, and
has lots of great friends. School is
very important to Monika and she
works hard to make sure that she
gets good grades. Her favorite
classes in school are English and
religion. She loves to learn about
how people in different cultures
live. In her spare time, Monika
likes to hang out with her friends
and play sports. Her favorite sport
is gymnastics; she has been
competing in gymnastics
tournaments for years and also
coaches gymnastics as well. In
the future she hopes to become a
doctor.
Joel
from Switzerland
17 years
Year
Tonje is a kind, creative, outgoing

and loving young woman with a
lot of humor. She loves acting,
and used to write entire
screenplays for fun with her
friends before she was old
enough to join a theater group. In
her spare time Tonje likes to work
out, drive on her scooter and take
pictures. She really enjoys
capturing precious moments in
her life and making them last
forever. Moreover, she loves fun
outdoor activities like fishing,
camping and rollerskating.
Tonje's really likes languages, so
English is her favorite class at
school, and she's honored to be
part of her town's youth council.
Age (at arrival):
18 years
Program length:
Year
Joel is a respectful and openminded young man with a quiet

sense of self-confidence. When
he's comfortable around people
he displays his healthy sense of
humor. It is important for him to
spend time with his friends and
family and show them his
appreciation. Joel likes animals,
being at the beach, and grilling on
the BBQ on a beautiful summer
evening. He loves technical
things, is fascinated by math, and
can't get enough of fast, big, loud
and heavy airplanes at airshows
or the airport. He flies model
aircraft, even using them to take
pictures of his neighborhood, and
wants to be a pilot.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Marielle
from Switzerland
Pascal
from Switzerland
Simon
from Switzerland
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Program length:
Year
Marielle is creative and sporty.

She can be a bit shy at first but
she is very talkative and funny
when she is with her friends and
family. She is very independent
and adapts well to new situations.
Marielle is very close with her
family, especially her younger
brother. In her spare time she
enjoys playing soccer; she has
played for many years and
practices twice a week. She also
enjoys playing the piano and
baking. She loves to make cakes
and other desserts for parties.
During her year abroad Marielle
hopes to improve her English,
make new friends, and learn
about different cultures.
16 years
Year
Pascal is a quiet, patient and

social young man who enjoys
having discussions about sports,
music, films and whatever's
happening in the world. He loves
music and practices the cello
every day. He also enjoys being
active and in gymnastics he
jumps high and does flips on the
trampoline. He likes to ski in
winter; he reads fantasy books
and plays games with his twin
brother in his spare time. One of
Pascal's strengths is taking care
of children, and he loves how with
kids around there's always
something happening. In the
future he hopes to be a doctor,
specifically a first responder.
Simon is easy going, helpful, and

adventurous. He loves to try new
things and gets along well with
everyone. He has a good
relationship with his parents and
siblings and helps out around the
house when he can. At school
Simon works hard and gets
excellent grades; he also loves
hanging out and talking with his
friends. In his spare time he likes
to practice gymnastics, play the
drums, watch movies, listen to
music, go snowboarding, and
work out at the gym. Ever since
Simon was little he has dreamed
of becoming a doctor. He is
fascinated by human anatomy
and really likes to help others.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Bettina
from Switzerland
Valerie
from Switzerland
Andrina
from Switzerland
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Age (at arrival):
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Program length:
Year
Bettina is a well-balanced, helpful

and happy young woman who's
kind of quiet but loves to have fun
and laugh. She has an artistic
soul and likes to draw, paint and
take pictures. Drawing is her
special passion which has a
calming effect on her. Bettina
stays fit by jogging regularly, and
she loves curling with her team
and skiing too. She listens to a lot
of music and almost can't help but
dance to it. It helps her express
her feelings. In her free time she
loves to bake sweets, and of
course eat them too. Bettina
wants to be a graphic designer
and likes using design programs
on the computer.
17 years
Year
Valerie's friends and family

describe her as friendly, honest,
and happy. She has a great
relationship with her family; she
talks to her parents about
everything and really looks up to
her two older siblings. In her
spare time Valerie enjoys playing
the piano, listening to music,
drawing, baking, and watching
musicals. She also likes to spend
time outside jogging or playing
badminton. Valerie has always
been interested in languages,
especially English. During her
year abroad she is looking
forward to learning more about
American culture, becoming more
independent, and improving her
English.
Andrina is a happy, polite,

adventurous and sensitive young
woman who is a loyal friend and
attentive listener. Sports are a big
part of her life and her greatest
passion is horseback riding. She
loves working with these proud,
graceful and beautiful animals. In
fact, she loves almost every kind
of animal and has two hilarious
guinea pigs at home. In her spare
time she likes to read, listen to
music and, of course, do things
with her friends like go shopping
or eat ice cream. In the future
Andrina wants to find a job that
she can be passionate about;
maybe as a veterinarian or an
author.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Emma
from Slovakia
Linus
from Sweden
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Semester
Program length:
Emma is outgoing, friendly,

ambitious, and organized. She
has strong opinions but is very
open minded. Her family gets
along well and they enjoy
spending time together whenever
they get a chance. In the winter
they like to go skiing together in
the mountains. Emma is an
excellent student and loves to
learn. She especially enjoys
studying languages. In her spare
time she likes to play tennis,
soccer, and sing with her choir. In
the future Emma intends to study
at a university and hopefully
become a doctor. During her year
abroad she hopes to improve her
English and make lots of friends.
August
from Sweden
15 years
Year
Linus' family describes him as

ambitious, polite, and helpful. He
is also friendly, curious, and
funny. His family is very close and
during the holidays they enjoys
traveling together. They
especially like to spend time by
the sea swimming and
sunbathing. In his spare time
Linus loves to play sports,
especially skiing and badminton.
When he needs some down time
he also likes to read, play video
games, and paint. During his year
abroad Linus is looking forward to
experiencing daily life in the
United States, getting to know his
host family, and creating
memories that will last a lifetime!
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Program length:
Year
August's friends and family

describe him as fun, social, and
active. School is a big part of his
life and he gets along well with
everyone in his class. He values
communication and is very open
with his family and friends. He
does well in school and enjoys
learning new things. His favorite
subjects are math and PE. In his
spare time August likes to play
sports, especially soccer. He also
enjoys downhill skiing in the
mountains with his family, water
skiing, and traveling. August's
goals for his year abroad are to
learn about American culture,
improve his English, and make
lots of new friends.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
Per
from Sweden
RATCHAPOOM
from Thailand
PAWARIS
from Thailand
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Program length:
Year
Age (at arrival):
18 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Per, known by his middle name

Elvin, is an independent, loyal
and honest young man who
always knows his goals and
works hard to achieve them. He's
very active and does lots of
training for soccer and parkour.
He loves the camaraderie and the
required cooperation of team
sports like soccer. He has
enjoyed being a teacher for
young kids, teaching them to
parkour. He skis in the winter with
his family and just started playing
golf, too. Elvin loves to travel and
his favorite vacation is when you
are spontaneous, just book the
tickets and go! He likes math and
physics and wants to be an
engineer.
16 years
Year
Ratchapoom, who goes by the

nickname 'Poom,' is friendly,
polite, open minded, and easy
going. He has a great relationship
with his parents and two younger
brothers. His mother is like his
best friend and they talk about
everything together. Poom is also
very close to his brothers and he
often takes care of them when his
parents are working. In his spare
time Poom likes to listen to music,
read, cook, and sing. He also
loves to draw and play the violin.
Studying abroad is a dream come
true for Poom; his goals are to
grow as a person, improve his
English, and learn about different
cultures.
Pawaris, or Carbrew as his

parents and teachers call him, is
an extremely helpful and goal
oriented young man! His teachers
talk often about how enthusiastic
he is while helping to tutor his
friends and classmates, and
choosing all kinds of electronics,
which are his passion. He loves
putting together computers,
listening to electronic music and
helping out his father with his carrepair business. When he's not
studying or working on gadgets,
Carbrew enjoys being goofy with
his friends and playing
badminton. Carbrew can't wait to
see if America is like the TV
shows and movies which he
loves!

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
PACHARAPORN
from Thailand
CHUCHALITA
from Thailand
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Age (at arrival):
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Pacharaporn, or Tonson, is a selfconfident, funny and studious

young woman and a good
listener. Her parents are her
heroes and inspiration, and she
enjoys learning from them how to
live a happy life. She likes playing
golf with her dad and cooking with
her mom. Someday she'd love to
try skiing. Tonson finds joy every
day at school, and her favorite
subjects are English and social
studies. She enjoys participating
in singing and English
competitions and really likes
American accents. In the future,
she wants to study medicine in
university and achieve her dream
of becoming a doctor.
JIRAPATCH
from Thailand
15 years
Year
Chuchalita (Yhin) is a calm,

humorous and easy-going young
woman who thinks that the best
way to learn something is to live it
and enjoy it as part of your life.
Her nickname refers to the soft
and gentle half of the yinyang
symbol, which she teasingly says
may or may not fit her personality.
Yhin loves both singing and
playing the electronic organ;
music always makes her relax
and feel better. She sings in a
choir, was a cheerleader at her
old school and is the class vice
president at her new one. She
loves playing with pets and fills
her spare time with books,
movies, music and friends.
Age (at arrival):
16 years
Program length:
Year
Jirapatch, who goes by the

nickname 'Jaja,' is funny, open
minded, social and cheerful. She
loves to make people smile and
laugh! Her family is very close
and supportive. On the weekends
they enjoy spending time together
going shopping, exercising, going
out to eat, and traveling during
the holidays. Jaja is very
adventurous and loves to try new
things. In her spare time she likes
to cook desserts, watch movies,
and listen to music. She also
enjoys sports especially cycling
and running. During her year
abroad Jaja is looking forward to
meeting new people and
experiencing daily life in the USA!

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO
KRITTPOOM
from Thailand
PATARA
from Thailand
Age (at arrival):
17 years
Age (at arrival):
15 years
Program length:
Year
Program length:
Year
Krittpoom is communicative, open

minded, optimistic, and curious.
He loves to learn new things and
meet new people. His family is
very close and they love to spend
time together going shopping,
traveling, and going out to dinner.
Krittpoom also tries to help his
mother with the housework as
often as he can. In his spare time
he likes to listen to music, read,
watch TV, and go bicycling. He
also loves to do arts and crafts,
especially photography, scrap
booking and drawing. In the future
Krittpoom hopes to become a
psychologist so he can help
people. He can't wait to meet his
host family!
Patara is cheerful, outgoing,

polite, and friendly. She is very
talkative and open minded and
loves to make friends. She has a
great relationship with her family,
and they love to spend time
together eating dinner, going for
bicycle rides, playing badminton,
and going backpacking. Patara
also likes to spend time baking
with her grandmother. In her
spare time Patara loves to draw
and paint. She also enjoys
listening to music, hanging out
with her friends, playing the
piano, singing, and learning about
computer programming. In the
future Patara hopes to become an
engineer or computer
programmer.

Kristin Southard
Tel: 646-381-3309
1-800-AFS-INFO

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