The following testimonials share the experiences of past participants in the program. They highlight the personal rewards of hosting and explain why they would recommend it to others. If you’re looking for more reasons to consider hosting, keep reading to learn about the benefits firsthand.
Romy Dieckerhoff (2017) - more than expected: getting a second home
Before I got to the USA, I didn’t really think about my host family. It was more about the high school I am going to and the friends I make. But right at the beginning my host family welcomed me to their family as if I was already a part of it. Those four months were and will always be one of the best experiences I will have ever had in my life. My exchange wasn’t what I was expecting. Yes, I was going to a high school and I got to know new people, but my exchange was more than that. I got a second home, a new family. That was the best thing I could have done, because I learned so much. I didn’t just get to know the American way of life. I learned that family isn’t just the people you’re blood related to. Family can be anyone who you love and trust.
“I learned that family isn’t just the people you’re blood related to“
I’m still visiting my host family and we’re facetiming or texting every day. I got really close to my host sister what I didn’t think at first because we’re very different. I can only advise everyone to make that experience whether as an exchange student or as a host family. It’s something that nobody can ever take away from you.
Amy Pearl (2015) - benefits of the Exchange programs
A friend who has hosted several students encouraged us to participate in the BuffaloDortmund Sister City Exchange Program and it was a wonderful experience.
My children were able to learn and appreciate the German culture, while giving German students the opportunity to appreciate our culture here in the United States. We had two students stay with us for the summer program, as well as a student stay with us for a semester. Of course, there is a bit of an adjustment at first, but the German students are polite and respectful. Our exchange students were excellent students and eager to get involved in school activities. They spoke English very well and they were even willing to help at home.
It was also nice that my son was able to travel to Germany to stay with our exchange student’s family. They have stayed in touch for the past few
years, even playing video games together via the internet!
With any commitment like this, there can be some challenging times. The exchange students may have different eating preferences, they might have trouble making friends at school, they might get homesick, they might want to stay out too late on a date.
You solve these problems just as you would with your own children – with a lot of conversation and a lot of prayer. Learning that we are more alike than different was probably one of the biggest benefits of the program for our entire family. We are grateful that we were able to be a part of the Exchange Program. We would recommend that other families consider serving as host families in the future.
Wendy Greenwood (2014) - The luck of having a persistent son
It is very hard for me to put this into a few words, as the experience was one that is too precious to my family to shorten the details. So please enjoy our story.
“Austin spent many nights trying to win me over… “
I am a single mom, and I work full time. At the time, I had 2 children at home, 1 in High School, Austin and 1 in Middle School, my daughter Rachel. I was very apprehensive to the idea of bringing another child into our home, especially since I worked all day and spent many of my evenings attending school functions, or running kids around for school functions like sports practices, or after school activities. I also was concerned about how a complete stranger would mold into our family, the financial burden, and how would he function successfully in our little world. Especially a teenager! I worried about feeding him, dealing with him getting sick, and as any mom would do, I worried about what he would eat!
After agreeing to meet with the exchange school coordinator from St. Joes, I felt very strongly that our family could and somehow, would manage to take in an exchange student and offer him a comfortable living space, and an American home. My son was very excited about the task upon us and was eager to see the profiles of the students who had applied to the program so we could make our choice as to which student would come to live with us.
When we received the profiles of the young men who were in need of host families, we studied each individual very carefully. We, as a family, decided on a young man by the name of Jannik Klein. Jannik’s family life, love of sports, especially American NFL football, and interest level and dedication to school, seemed to match up perfectly with our family. So the choice was made. We picked Jannik. We were assured that this would be the right choice, and we would not be disappointed in our commitment to being a Host family. We then began to prepare for the arrival of our newest family member. He became part of a family unit that grew stronger with his presence. Our contact with the Exchange Student coordinator at my son’s school was very informative and consistent, about details of Jannik’s arrival and specifics on what we needed to do to prepare for him. We were given contact information of our Jannik, and his family so we could begin to communicate with him and his parents. This helped all of us to become comfortable with each other. The boys were able to connect via an app on their phones called “whatsapp”, and through playing video games with each other. From a parental perspective, it was nice to get to know Jannik’s parents a little before he came here. They too were very nervous and this made things a lot easier. We were able to understand any medical needs he may have, medication he takes, and learn about his food likes and dislikes. As time grew closer for us to receive Jannik, we prepared our home. We decided that Jannik would share a bedroom with Austin. This way they could bond with his new “house brother”, and really get to know each other. What a great choice this was! Jannik had his own bed, dresser lamp,
and closet space. Other than that, he would have free range of our home. Now all we had to do was wait for his arrival in September.
The anticipation and excitement was almost overwhelming. The boys had been communicating through texting for many days prior to arrival. The exchange program had a very well communicated arrival schedule. They kept us abreast of the departure and arrival information, as well as the pre –pick up schedule of events. We knew exactly where Jannik was, and what he was doing while with the exchange team. Jannik and the other students spent time in NYC before coming to Buffalo. This allowed them to do some sightseeing and become adjusted to the time change and get a jump on the American way of life. The day had finally come for us to meet, in person, our newest addition to our family. It was as if we were waiting for Santa to come and deliver our wonderful present. We made welcome signs and greeted Jannik with many hugs.
“It was as if we were waiting for Santa“
Our first few days were great. There were activities planned with the other exchange families, group activities, as well as student only activities. The exchange program was very good about having weekly and monthly scheduled activities that included all of the house family and the exchange student. Although attendance was not required, it was encouraged. Our Jannik was pretty busy with his soccer practice and game schedule, and my son Austin also busy with football practice and games, so we participated in as many as we could. The boys attended several dinners at different host family homes around the area. The host families all worked together to arrange rides for kids who needed them. I have to admit, it didn’t take
long for Jannik to feel very comfortable in our home and become a part of our family.
Over all, our experience with Jannik, and the exchange program was nothing but exceptional. Jannik came to a foreign Country, integrated into a school where he knew no one, and became a part of a family unit that grew stronger with his presence. We all attended Jannik’s soccer games and team functions. Jannik attended all of Austin’s football games and became a part of the “band of Brothers” at St. Joes. Jannik bonded with my daughter who was 11 at the time. They enjoyed their time after school together before I got home from work. Jannik would help her with her math homework, watch silly tv shows with her, and share snacks together. He even attended her basketball games when he could.
“He became part of a family unit that grew stronger with his presence“
Jannik would communicate with his family in Germany anytime he needed. He was well prepared with his own money to spend on extra activities, shopping for his own toiletries, and clothing. He came prepared with his own banking card for use as he needed. We went to NFL football games, NHL hockey games, movies, concerts, and so much more. I took care of all meals and housing. That was it. I really didn’t notice much of an impact on my budget at all, just my time. Time that was well spent learning about a wonderful boy, his family, and what a great time we were having.
Most nights, our family would eat dinner together if possible. Before Jannik arrived, we would eat out many nights. This did not change as I am a working mom and the boys would not get home from practice until late so this just made things easier. In fact it worked out great because I was able to expose Jannik to many different types of food. On the weekends, when we were all around, I would make soup for Sunday suppers. Jannik loved soup. His favorite was always pizza and chicken wings and Taco Tuesday! We had the pleasure of sharing an American Thanksgiving with Jannik. It was a great opportunity to share what we traditionally do every year. We played our family football game, watched American football, and I even asked Jannik to participate in our meal preparations by asking him to create and make the salad to share at our dinner. Jannik and I had many moments alone in the car together while we were waiting on Austin to finish his football practice. We were able to talk about how his day had gone, what his future plans might be, how he liked school etc. Jannik would share with me how much he loved school, and his friends here. How our family has become his family. How Austin is his American brother.
Jannik’s family was in constant contact with us. From packages from his mom and dad, to emails and photo exchanges of our activities, we grew closer to each other. Like a distant family. Jannik’s mother and I would share stories and experiences. Jannik’s father enjoyed hearing about our travels and meals. Jannik shared how this experience has been so good for him. I was able to share with Jannik how much I appreciated him sharing this time with us. How happy he has made our family, and how much we would miss him when he was gone. How he has become a part of our family and always will be.
“Our family has become his family“
The month of December was hard for our family. It was the month that our Jannik would be leaving us to head back home. As the time drew closer, and we reached the time to pack Jannik and his belongings, we shed many tears. We talked of Jannik coming back to see us and us going to see him. We shared all of the fun times we had. When we shared our last meal together at the “Auf wiedersehen” dinner, I knew the next day would be one of the worst days for my children and me.
As we waited with the other exchange students for the bus to arrive, we took photos near the Christmas tree. We gave many hugs and wiped many tears. My daughter said it’s not fair that Jannik has to leave. My son, who was 6’6” at the time walked Jannik to the bus to help him load up his belongings. The boys, who met as strangers, bonded like best friends, and became brothers from different Countries, shared a moment they will never, in their life, forget. They said good- bye to each other. It was one of the hardest things to watch. They realized that even at their ages, experiences like this may only come around once in a life time and how lucky they were to experience this. Our family will forever be changed.
The next few months were tough for all of us. We stayed in very close contact with Jannik and his family, now our family. We have since gone over to see Jannik and his family, our German family. Jannik and his sister have had the opportunity to come back and spend a week with us! For my son’s High School graduation gift, Austin was able to go to Dortmund and spend 10 days in Dortmund with Jannik and his family. Our family. They will all forever
be our German family.
There is so much more that I could share about how wonderful this program is. How more families need to experience hosting an exchange student. How my kids grew and were enlightened to something other than themselves. How we can open our door and our hearts to these ever so deserving students. What a great experience we had with Jannik, the exchange program, and our time hosting. I hope this helps share a glimpse of our fabulous
encounter with hosting a student from Dortmund. We will forever be changed as a family, thanks to this program.
“My kids grew and were enlightened to something other than themselves“
Ilsa Cooper (2014) - The beauty of sharing traditions
Regarding my experience hosting Nina Piontek 3 years ago, she and her parents were very appreciative and grateful that I agreed to host her. She arrived with all kinds of presents for me and my 3 cats–candy, a game, a mug from Dortmund, a stuffed bear, and a couple of beautiful Ritzenhoff champagne glasses which they continued to send me during the next 4 months that she was here so now I have a set of 6. They were extremely generous both in all the gifts they sent me and also in their e-mails, thanking me for hosting their daughter.
“It was fun seeing her enjoyment of fall and Halloween“
Nina seemed to really enjoy her time here, mostly because it was fall and she loved all the Halloween customs and also everything related to the fall because she said that neither of those things are so important in Germany. We went to a pumpkin farm with her friend Karla and they got pumpkins to carve into Jack-O- Lanterns and we went to some neighborhood Halloween displays. And everyone at her school wore costumes to a party there. It was really fun seeing her enjoyment of the season, since my children are older so I haven’t had that experience in a while.
Thanksgiving was also something new for her to experience. We were invited to a friend’s house for a large, multi-ethnic dinner so she got to experience it in its truest form. I just received another package from her and her parents with more gifts and thanking me for introducing her to this tradition.
Before she left shortly before Christmas I received another package from Germany with more candy and some beautiful Christmas decorations and I enjoyed shopping for some Buffalo themed gifts to send home with her for her parents.
“I would recommend the hosting experience for anyone who would enjoy sharing our customs and traditions“
Mary Bellia (2014) - How to deal with homesickness
We had decided to take in a German student after meeting one of the German girls who was in the program in 2013. Lena was on the same field hockey team as my daughter and I got to know her host family. They were having a wonderful experience with their student and they were excited to share the information on the exchange program with me. The student even said that she had a friend back home (Ronja) who was interested in joining the program but was apprehensive and nervous. Lena gave us Ronja’s contact information and my daughter connected with her. They hit it off through facebook, instagram and texting so we decided to be her host family. We had an advantage (or so we thought…more on that later) since we made a connection with Ronja and had months of communication with her before she came. To be honest, we didn’t know much about the program initially other than a flyer but the conversations we had with Lena’s host family educated us about the program and convinced us to give it a try.
“Our experience was a mix of emotions with trying times and fun times but it was worth it in the end and I would highly recommend it”
We had reservations about the language barrier but that went away after we discovered that Ronja spoke English and had no problems communicating with my daughter through social media and texting. My kids take Spanish and don’t speak German however we’ve been to Germany two times in recent years and love the Country and its people. So we were excited that it was a German exchange program. .
The positive input from the host family we spoke to and getting to know their host student Lena was the deciding factor. She was outgoing and excited and seemed very happy. We thought it would be a good experience for our kids to have to share their home, things and time with a person from another culture. We hoped to learn about her culture as she learned of ours.
Since we had connected with Ronja a year before she came and had communicated with her all of those months, we expected her transition to be seamless. However this wasn’t the case. She was very homesick from the first day and it lasted two months of her four months here. We felt so bad for her and struggled with how to help her. We tried having her German friends over as much as possible so that she could have familiar faces around. She later told us that it was probably the wrong thing to do because it made her more homesick. She face timed home several times a day which also didn’t
help. She was very involved in our family life and we tried everything to help her. We took her on trips to Canada and California as well. She struggled at school since the classes were hard and didn’t want to go. We talked with the school and they adjusted her schedule which helped. She stated that it wasn’t us, she loved us but she was just too homesick. She also stated that she got mixed messages from home by her mom encouraging her to complete the program and her dad letting her know that she could go home at any time – that didn’t help. Her family and my family were emotionally exhausted. My daughter and Ronja experienced a disconnect because she was so unhappy. It was frustrating for us because whenever we go together with the other German students, they seemed so happy and welladjusted even though some of them weren’t even placed with a host family or with families with no kids. After having many meetings with Dan Scanlon we had all decided that she should go home. Once that was decided she felt a big relief just knowing she could leave and then did a complete turnaround! She finished out her time and everything worked out!
The best part was when Ronja decided on her own to stay. It was also really special meeting all of the students and joining them on some of the activities. My kids learned a lot about perseverance and determination by watching Ronja face her challenges.
Yes, as described above. Ronja’s difficulties were overcome through strong communication and trial and error.
t did not really change me in any way. We all had to be very patient and compassionate which was harder for my kids so I guess it changed them for the better a little bit.
I would definitely recommend it even though it was difficult for us. It gives you the opportunity to learn about another culture, maybe learn another language. If you have kids, they learn how to share their space and their things and how to communicate.
David Frank (2013) - Not all learning takes place in a classroom
I am happy to comment on our experience with Lena Grosser, our German exchange student. She was with us 4 years ago and I have been an advocate of the program since. I believe I even talked 2 families into hosting. The lucky kids from Dortmund get to come to Buffalo. I heard there are more kids than homes available. The happiest kids in Lena’s group had a home with other students and their own bedroom.
Lena’s brother was part of the exchange program the year before. He ended up at our house one day with a bunch of other kids. He was a fine young man. He mentioned to our daughter Colleen that his sister wanted to come to Buffalo and would we consider hosting. We had considered it but never followed up on it. We had concerns about a girl in the same house as our teenage boy. I would say the biggest concern is what if you get someone who doesn’t get along with your family. I think technology can help with some of this. If the kids get to know each other through Skype, Twitter, texting, Snapchat, etc, this will make the transition much easier. Host parents can do the same thing. My wife emailed Lena’s mother asking for Lena’s favorite recipe.
“Technology can help with making the transition easier“
We didn’t have any expectations. We read what Lena wrote and what she wanted to accomplish. It all seemed reasonable. We thought about how difficult it must be for parents to send their 15 year old daughter off to live with a foreign family. We became determined to help them and provide a great experience for Lena.
Dan Scanlon, the coordinator of the program at the time, did a wonderful job for all the kids. Dan had many cultural programs set up for the kids. For some of these, only my daughter was supposed to go. I would offer to pay for my son to go along. Dan would give him an extra ticket at no charge. Dan also spent a lot of time visiting and driving the girls who stayed in the dorms all over Buffalo. The coordinator’s job is a lot of work. I especially enjoyed watching Lena play field hockey. She ended up being voted the Most Valuable Player. My daughter is not involved in sports and this was a special treat for me to watch
It was a special treat to watch Lena play field hockey“
At the time I understood the program was set up so that the academics did not count for credit back in Germany. I think this is a problem. Lena’s goals were to become proficient in English, learn our culture and have fun with friends. She struggled academically. She liked the social part of school but not the classes. My daughter is now in college. She is thinking about spending a semester abroad. The classes she would take at the university most
definitely count. Overall, I think the program is great. Many kids in America go away for college. This experience gives them a little understanding of what it will be like when you leave home and live with some else in a dorm. Not all learning for our children takes place in a class room.
Barbara Quebral (2012) - Not only linguistical benefits but a close friendship
My husband and I decided to host a German student because our daughter Monica had spent a year in Germany in a different program. She was welcomed by three different families and had a wonderful experience. So to in sense reciprocate for the kindness Monica was shown, we decided to have a German student stay with us. I think we also wanted to help Monica continue with her German language growth by having a German girl stay with us. We decided rather quickly because the deadline for applying was near.
Inga was a very dear girl and easy to get along with. We enjoyed having her and she was not at all difficult. We feel blessed to have welcomed this young woman who brought friendship into our lives. Since her year with us, her family has come and stayed with us and we have kept in touch with Inga and hope that she will be our friend throughout our lives. The only difficulty we experienced is just having a guest in the house for 4 months is a little trying. However, I think that the experience was wonderful and the only reason we have not had another student stay with us is that we do not have any high school students in our home anymore and I think a teen without a brother or sister in the home might be lonely. I would definitely recommend the exchange program to others
“I hope that she will be our friend throughout our lives“
Hope Obertean (2012) - Family Bonds across an ocean
My family and I decided to take a German student largely because my son showed interest when he started taking German class in high school. He, and the rest of the family, thought it would be a great and interesting experience and we decided to seriously consider it at that point. We knew that taking in a student would provide us an opportunity to explore Buffalo, while also discovering new places around town for the first time. At first, I had a lot of reservations about taking in a student and most of those were along the lines of, “will s/he like us? Will s/he fit in with the family? How will we entertain him or her?” I also thought about if the student would like the rest of the family and my (our) cooking and way of life. I also wondered if he or she would be homesick and how we would deal with that. What helped me make a decision was talking with the coordinator, Dan Scanlon. He answered my questions and assured me that the student would be appreciative just to come and would care little about any of the logistics that I was so concerned about. We made the decision to have a student come and we were matched with Jan, a young man a year younger than my son. We
did not have expectations of the student, as this was the first time we, or anybody we knew, was taking in a foreign exchange student. From the moment we met Jan we loved him! He was polite, sweet, and funny! We knew we got a gem right away and he and my son became “brothers.”
“We knew we got a gem right away“
During the time that Jan was here, his mother passed away unexpectedly; he went back to Germany to be with his family and then came back to Buffalo to finish the semester. We provided support and love to him during this difficult time and we grew as a family because of this. While he was here, Jan provided us with knowledge of his life in Germany, and talked about the places that he had been. This was exciting to hear about, because as a family, we had never been to Europe! We learned a lot from his stories and experiences. We also were able to re-discover Buffalo and the surrounding areas on trips that we scheduled. We went to see Niagara Falls and Toronto with Jan and were able to try new things, including new foods that Jan helped us prepare.
“We learned a lot from his stories and experiences“
Fortunately, we had no problems. The boys got along great and he fit right in with our family. Initially, I was concerned that money would be an area of
concern, however, Jan’s family sent him with money. Of course, I bought him things, including food and personal items, but it was never awkward or expected. I always offered, because he was part of the family. In reflecting, I would recommend taking in a student of the same sex as other members of the family for the purpose of shared interests and development.
I/we gained much more than an exchange student; we gained a son, brother, grandson, and friend. We love Jan and his family and talk to them to this day. My son has been to Germany to visit Jan and his family and Jan has visited Buffalo since his time here. My kids surprised me with a family picture that Christmas that we had Jan here, and he is in the family picture. He is family now and will forever be part of each of us. He and my son continue to FaceTime and share a bond that will never separate them. This was one of the best experiences I have had and would highly recommend for families to consider it. It was life changing and fun!
“He and my son share a bond that will never separate them“
Family O'Rourke (2012) - Smooth expansion of our family
We are writing today in support of the high school exchange program that exists between Buffalo area high schools and those in our sister city of Dortmund. Our son, Jonathan (Jonny), who is now a second year college student at Niagara University in Lewiston, NY, attended high school at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Kenmore, NY. As a first year freshman student, he decided to take German as his required foreign language. This decision not only exposed him to a very interesting culture, but also provided the opportunity to host a German exchange student in the first semester of his sophomore year. As we looked into this program, we were impressed by how well organized it was in terms of the plans, the expectations, the arrangements, the scheduled activities and so forth. We decided that the exposure would be a positive benefit to us as parents, our daughter, Mary, but especially for our son whose horizons were just starting to widen.
“We were impressed by how well organized the program was“
Everyone was just a bit nervous the night when we first met Tim in August of 2012. None of us knew quite what to expect so we tried to approach the encounter with an open mind. We can tell you that the young man we met that night was extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in the program. He was overly respectful of our ‘space’ and demonstrated a cheerful willingness to repay our hospitality in whatever way he could. We participated in a number of activities with the other host families and were fortunate to meet many other wonderful local families who were also taking advantage of this rewarding opportunity. There are several pre-planned activities that involve the families but there are many others just for the exchange students as well as for the exchange student and the host student. I know our son enjoyed the meeting with the City of Buffalo’s Mayor Brown in his downtown office as much as Tim did. An unexpected consequence of hosting Tim was our desire to engage in extra family activities on those few weekends where his schedule was free. We were proud to show him hidden treasures of our region.
Tim and Jonny became friends but retained their own schedules. Tim took advantage of the opportunity to run with the Cross Country team at St Joe’s, while Jonny played on the school’s soccer team. Tim made a set of friends who were distinct from Jonny’s, though they spent time with each other’s groups. Tim was able to join us along with two other friends of theirs on a weekend trip to visit our daughter at college in Chicago, IL. He really added a
wonderful dimension to our visit as we focused on the things that we might otherwise take for granted, things that make us Americans. The expense and inconvenience was so minimal that is not even worth mentioning.
“He added a wonderful dimension to our visit as we focused on things that we might take for granted, things that make us Americans.“
We were truly surprised at how hard it was to finally say goodbye in the parking lot of the Buffalo Marriott hotel on that early December Day. The whole experience went by in the wink of an eye. We hope to, but don’t know, if we will see Tim again, but Jonny and two of their friends did pay a two-week visit to Tim and his family in Dortmund the following summer. Tim and his family were most gracious hosts to these boys. Tim planned an itinerary for the boys to visit many other German cities besides Dortmund while they were there. They especially loved the opportunity to see the Dortmund soccer stadium!
To this day, Jonny, Tim and his new American friends retain a relationship that never could have happened without our participation in the Buffalo Dortmund Sister City Exchange Program. We expect that they will most likely reunite again somewhere in the world! We have no hesitation whatsoever in highly recommending this program and appreciate the opportunity to share our very positive experience with it. We would be happy to answer any
questions that potential host families may have. We are hopeful that this valuable program will continue well into the future.
Anna Engnath (2007) - Maturing in a foreign country
… includes my host mother, Liz, and host siblings waiting at the airport. Although it was some time ago, I still remember the nervous feeling. Unlike nowadays, 2007 did not have whatsapp; Facebook was not popular in Germany and Skype was something I hadn’t heard of. I’ve only exchanged a few emails with my host family and hadn’t seen them yet.. I was as uneasy as never before in my life. Would the family like me? Would I comprehend everything and be able to make myself understood? I was most of all worried about what would happen if we didn’t get along. Those thoughts only hit me on our way to Buffalo. I think it is a good organization to have a week in New York City before heading to Buffalo. Therefore the students don’t get the double impact of leaving their family behind and getting anxious about meeting their new one. Instead they get excited about going to NYC after saying goodbye to their parents in Germany. In my case all those anxieties were needless. My host family gave me such a warm welcome and started firing questions at me, so that I only started worrying about the language. This problem was about to vanish pretty soon, as well.
What especially stuck to my mind was our stop at Mighty Taco to get dinner on our way home from the airport. In Germany tacos weren’t a thing (they still aren’t), so I had absolutely no clue what to order. My host sister helped me out and told me to order what she had: Since she is picky I would definitely like it. So I had my first chicken fajita in my life and it was delicious!
Firstly, one of the biggest differences to my life in Dortmund was the three dogs. My host family had one toy poodle and two miniature schnauzers. They were crazy adorable! Since I only had a budgie in Germany, their enthusiastic jumping and belling was something I had to accustom myself to. They especially went crazy when my host mother, Liz, came home from work. I got used to it quickly and loved the dogs from the first day onward anyway. Especially the toy poodle, Olivia, grew very dear to my heart. Maturing in a foreign country
Secondly, eating habits and leisure time within the family was different. Whereas my mother used to work on a part-time basis, Liz came home in the evening. So instead of eating a warm meal after school, I had to get used to eat a snack after school and have dinner later. The stereotype of US citizens only eating junk food didn’t prove true. (Unfortunately, that’s what many people in Germany think). Liz and Russ both cooked often and I miss corn made by my host dad very much! Speaking of food: breakfast is very different. Before school – as in Germany – I had cereal. But weekends was unlike: either Liz made pancakes or she got muffins or doughnuts from Tim Hortons. Since I love sweets, I enjoyed those treats to start the day. Still, after two or three months I started missing German breakfast with wholegrain buns and lunchmeat.
After school I often talked to friends in Germany or met up with friends in Buffalo. So the quality time with family followed in the evening: watching TV, chatting, having dinner. I enjoyed watching teen drama series like America’s Next Top Model and Gossip Girl with Liz and my host sister. In Germany I’d always have to meet up with friends to watch such series. My German mom and brother would more likely scream at me than join me in the living
room. I enjoyed every second with my host family and in the end it is the little things that live on in memory: going to the movies, renting DVDs, going to the mall with friends, Liz and Mary Kate or taking the dogs for a walk in the near-by park
I kept on telling my host family how horrible weather in Dortmund is. So when they warned me of cold and snow-covered winters, I got very excited. I hoped to be surrounded by snow on my birthday. On December 3rd there was no snow in Buffalo and it was –for them- a rather warm December. When my day of departure got closer, they decided to take me somewhere snowy. Since they promised me to see loads of snow, we took a ride to ‘nowhere’ and just stopped at a parking lot. I got out and walked through a few inches of snow like a 3-year-old. It touched me that they would spend an evening in the car only so I could see snow. I am very thankful for everything they did for me: whether it was giving me rides to school/ friend’s houses or putting up the Christmas Tree three weeks in advance so I would be able to see a ‘real American Christmas Tree’. They gave me a lovely birthday party, which – as
fate would have it – involved watching the first BVB game in months (on American TV).
Furthermore, I am very grateful for all the cities they introduced me to. I’ve loved traveling since early childhood. I enjoyed sightseeing in Philadelphia and Washington D.C., spending a week at Lake Erie in Canada and visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I am very appreciative of knowing that I’ll always find an open door in Buffalo. I managed to visit them twice in Buffalo and hope there are lots of vacations to come. The stay in Buffalo did not just improve my English; it enlarged my family!
“I am very appreciative of knowing that I’ll always have family in Buffalo“
Elizabeth Reinagel (2007-2009) - Life of a host family
Russ and I had friends who had hosted exchange students, so I guess it was always in the back of our heads. But we never sought out the opportunity to host a student. So when our son, Charlie, went to St. Joe’s, we received the monthly newsletter and in it was a call for host families for German exchange students the same age as our children. We immediately decided this was something our family wanted to do. We involved the kids and decided we would host a girl who would go to school with our daughter, Mary Kate. The important thing is that the German students would attend the same schools that our children went to. This was very important because then it was a family experience and our students would be part of our family routine.
“Host families must be prepared to make sure that the student has a general sense of welcome and inclusion“
Our family had no reservations or difficulties with the students that stayed with us. We do know, however, that some children did not feel comfortable in the homes they were staying at. I would note that there was questionnaire or investigation of the families by the part of the people at St. Joe’s on how the families would be willing and equipped, especially emotionally, to take in an exchange student. The family who takes a student must be prepared to make sure that the student has a good place to sleep, a place for privacy, food that the student will enjoy, access to calling home at any time, and a general sense of welcome and inclusion so that the student feels that they can ask for anything they need and feel welcome and happy. I think that most of the families were like that.
We wanted our students to get as much travel as possible too, to take them to as many cities as we could. Although this may not be possible for everyone, we would take two or three of the students with us, so it was important that the students were able to connect with each other and be with each other so they felt a little at home. We loved when the students would speak German and we did not know what they were saying. We would laugh!
Having exchange students opened up a lot of opportunities for us. We could ask questions about how their lives were and found that they were pretty similar to ours. My daughter and I got the opportunity to travel to Dortmund and meet the families of our students, and one family came to Buffalo and stayed with us. We became friends forever. We also learned that the students from Germany were very mature and much more responsible than our American children. We tend to baby our kids and watch over them too much, and we were amazed at the confidence and independence of the students, especially given the fact that they were traveling abroad for 4 months to an unknown place.
“There is an incredible joy and excitement...“
The students were always respectful. Our students fit well into our household and they were a lot of fun. They made friends with the kids they went to school with and one girl even played on the school sports teams. There is an incredible joy and excitement when the group of students comes to Buffalo for the first time. The whole program included events for the students as a whole which was very good for the kids. Having those chances for them to get together and have things to look forward to outside of just the family makes a lot of sense. As a host family you need to make sure that your student has exciting things to do other than just that. After all, that is why they came! To see and do as much as they can, like visiting Toronto or New York City. Going to the beach or to the mall. The family must be ready to be a good host to the student. One of the most memorable things about our students was their smiles and laughter. They were just joyful kids, became and are still a part of our family.
“They became and are still a part of our family“
Hosting an exchange student is a personal decision for any family to make, but once you welcome a child into your home, you never look back. It’s the best decision ever.
Suzanne Hasselback (2002) - Becoming sisters in a wink
I wanted to put in my two cents as a host sister!
“We made great connections as well with her family...“
Maria Kordy stayed with my family through the Buffalo-Dortmund exchange, and she quickly became our sister! Our family has been hosting for the past 36 years, and yet we have rarely made a connection like this with our other guests. Maria fit in to our family perfectly, and we brought her everywhere we could think of – Niagara Falls, evidently, but also to Darien Lake, Meyer Brothers, the waterfront, Chestnut Ridge, the old railroad terminal, and Wegmans 🙂 to name a few! She was enthusiastic and asked questions about everything, making us realize how our city appeared from the outside. As always with visiting students, flexibility on both sides was important – communication remained open, and we got around a number of potholes that could have been. We laughed about false cognates, shared recipes, and made great connections as well with her family – we even visited her parents‘ house, and her dad and Maria returned to our house multiple times after she had returned to Germany at the end of her stay with us. It’s a lifelong connection that was made, and I invited her to my wedding in 2010! To anyone that is considering hosting through the Buffalo-Dortmund exchange, I would say that you will be making the friendship of a lifetime with an amazing person who will become like your own child/sibling. Keep an open mind, and be ready to laugh a lot!
“You will be making the friendship of a lifetime with an amazing person“