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Exchange students need families, homes

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  • Tara Bozick •
  • Originally published July 15, 2008 at 11:48 p.m., updated July 15, 2008 at 11:48 p.m.

Kai, a teenaged boy from Hong Kong, stared at the night sky over Victoria for hours.

Betty Kovar, coordinator for the exchange student program, asked what he was doing. He told her he couldn’t see the stars in Hong Kong because of all the city lights.

“He was just amazed to stand there and look at the stars,” Kovar recalls, smiling. He also learned to ride a bicycle for the first time during his senior year.

That’s one of many memories and cultural lessons Kovar learned from international students coming to the Crossroads area during her six years with the Share exchange program - a national program maintained by the Educational Resource Development Trust.

In those six years, Victoria County and surrounding counties have hosted more than 30 students from all over the world.

International students and their local host families mutually learn from one another. The students bring knowledge from far-off countries and the families guide the students through living in the United States and Texas.

“It’s hard to learn about other countries without going there,” Kovar said. “It’s a chance for us to share our culture. It changes their perception of us.”

Most students couldn’t believe how patriotic Americans were, flying American flags out in their yards, Kovar said. Others didn’t realize that religion played such a large role in the American family and household.

Right now, Kovar is looking for five to 10 area families to host students. More than 100 students are looking to come to the United States through the Share program.

One student, Merek from the Czech Republic, is already due to arrive at the Victoria airport in August. Kovar hopes to quickly find a family to host him.

Tara Bozick is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6504 or tbozick@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.



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  • JustCurious JustCurious Report a ViolationReport a Violation Permalink  | 

    I'm concerned. Kovar is looking for 5-10 area families and more than 100 students are looking to come to the U.S. Will the students still come to the US if a host family has not been secured? Federal regulations written to protect these visiting teens state that 'sponsors may not facilitate the entry into the United States for an exchange student for whom a host family placement has not been secured;' Let's keep these kids safe. To learn more, visit the Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange students www.csfes.org. Thank you.

    July 16, 2008 at 11:58 p.m.