A Hosting Journey that Transcends Geographic Borders to Make Life-time Connections!

Our Regional Executive Director, Rob Douglas, recently shared a heart-warming story about his and his family special bond with Francesca, an Italian student that he hosted in his own home during the academic year 2022-2023. We can see how cultural exchange has such an impact on human connections! 

“Our own daughters Maddy and Molly are in Italy right now with Francesca, our Italian host daughter from the 2022-2023 school year. Our bond with her was so tight for the entire year and then tragically deepened beyond our imagination two months after she returned to Italy with the news that her father had died in a car accident last August.

My wife Kristin and I flew to Milan three days later and joined the family for the funeral, spending only a long weekend with them, but further solidifying ourselves as one big Italian American family in every way. We truly love Francesca as another daughter and her mother Dona as a sister. There are no other words to explain the depth of this relationship.

So, our girls are right now in Cossato/Biella for a week, visiting Lago Maggiore today in fact, and Francesca will then return to us for three weeks later this summer!

It doesn’t end there!

Rob adds “Luca (an Italian exchange student for 2024-2025 academic year) will attend Canastota High School here in Central New York just to the east of the city of Syracuse. In fact, this is the very school where I taught Spanish for eight years and only 10 minutes from our home. We will be a part of his experience and see him often. As you can imagine, we are not only happy for Luca but also thrilled to bring him here to our own community, stay involved in his exchange year, and watch firsthand as his life and his host family’s also change and grow as a result.”

Thank you, Rob and family for sharing your amazing hosting journey with us, and inspiring future host families! Thank you for creating so many wonderful memories for your family, Francesca, and soon Luca!

Greenheart Exchange has been a sponsor of the J-1 Exchange Visitor visa since 1985. In our first year, we helped seven Spanish students find host families and attend high school in the U.S. Now, we welcome hundreds of participants each year who live with American families and study in high schools all across America.

Are you interested in hosting an international high school student, and share the U.S. culture? Visit HostwithGreenheart.org to learn more.