Educator of the Year
Provided by Martha Pirkle, ISE Regional Manage

The article below, written by Elizabeth Martin for the Eagle Times in Claremont, New Hampshire, is a wonderful example of the ways our International Student Exchange program reaches far beyond our students. We touch the lives of educators who touch the lives of our students and the stories we tell touch the lives of journalists who touch the lives of the greater community... and the circle of connection continues.

Paul Couture received the Educator of the Year Award from International Student Exchange, for his dedication to cultural exchange. Couture accepted the award at the Claremont Opera House Tuesday to a student standing ovation at the close of the East Asian Theme Day.

The award is given to one person throughout the country annually, Martha Pirkle, ISE Regional Manager, said. Couture also received a trip for two to Lisbon, Portugal but wasn¹t able to attend. Pirkle said Couture is involved with the students and cares about their placements. “I use him as an example to other principals for how well this program can run,” she said.

Couture didn’t know about the award ceremony Tuesday, but he had a feeling something was awry. “I had a funny feeling,” he said. Assistant principal Susan Chandler made sure Couture was not going to miss the dance performance at the opera house, which was where he received the award. “He hates to be recognized,” she said.

The theme day was filled with tea ceremonies, calligraphy, Japanese storytelling, martial arts, Korean cooking, kite making, Japanese internment camps presentations and origami, to name a few.

Couture didn’t give a speech after his award on stage. He was happy to receive the award, however. “It is absolutely wonderful,” he said. Stevens had an exchange program before Couture was the principal, he said, but he has expanded it. Having the exchanges prepares Stevens students to live in a global world, he said. “It’s a wonderful experience for our kids and our schools.” Couture said. The students make international friendships and connections by having their classmates come from diverse backgrounds.

Yearly, 3,000 students from 55 countries are placed with the ISE program. Shandato Abantas, an exchange student from the Philippines, said his stay at Stevens has been better due to Couture¹s help. He said Couture is definitely worthy of the award. “Paul Couture loves exchange students and in that way exchange students love Paul Couture,” Abantas, a junior, said. Students are placed in host families within the community.

For more information about becoming a host family or about student exchange contact (800) 518-3156.
Elizabeth Martin can be reached at (800) 545-0347 Ext. 103 or at emartin@eagletimes.com.

School Award for Student Exchange
Provided by Christine Conte, DMD Regional Manager

The article below, written by Carmen McCollum of the North West Indiana Times, recognizes a local high school for their participation in student exchange and Crown Point High School is a leader in creating a home for students from other countries, an official with a foreign exchange student organization said. Chris Conte, regional manager for DM Discoveries Exchange Student Programs, praised the high school for its support of the program as the school was recognized for its efforts Thursday with a plaque during Foreign Facts Frenzy 2008.

About 105 high school students and foreign exchange students gathered together to play a modified game of bingo and share dinner for the event, which the school hosted for the first time. Conte said about 32 foreign exchange students participated in the program at various schools in the area. David Rosenbaum, chairman of Crown Point's foreign language department, said the high school hosts a program in the fall and spring for foreign exchange students.

Alejandro Valdivieso, 19, of Ecuador, is one of 18 students attending school in Crown Point. He said he has learned a lot about American culture and its people. He said he graduated a year ago from Isaac Newton High School in Quito, Ecuador, but is taking classes such as Spanish, English, economics, government and personal finance at the high school.

"The first few months here, it was hard because I did not know English very well but as I made friends, it became easier," he said, adding he also has played soccer. Valdivieso said one of the biggest differences between his high school back home and Crown Point is that students don't change classes at his school in Ecuador. The teachers change rooms, he said.

Freshman Carli Beall said it's been a pleasure knowing Valdivieso and she's learned a little something about his culture.

Student Poet
Provided by Trella Scates, INTO Regional Manager, Southwest Region

In a recent school poetry competition, ninth grade exchange student, Hong Choi, took top honors in the Junior High Division.

Children
By Hong Choi

Girl, look at what you had
Boy, look at what you did
Do cry, girl, it’s useful
Don’t scream, boy, it’s useless
The younger, the noisier

Boy, you are so loosey
Girl, you are so greedy
You always rush and rush
You always wish and wish
The younger, the noisier

A Student Perspective
Provided by Barbara Bostock, ISE Regional Advisor

Each student who arrives as an exchange student brings a unique perspective... why study in the U.S., why leave home... and each one responds differently to the experience. Caro Roeffen, who left her home in the Netherlands after being graduated from high school, attended Horace Mann High School in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Caro had a great American experience and shared her thoughts for her school paper...

Why Leave Home?
By Caro Roeffen

When one of your closest friends, family members or even your own sister tells you that she wants to move to another country, how do you react?

I’ve seen a lot of different reactions to this. First everyone responds excited, and they don’t really expect you to do it. But, when you get closer to actually going, people are surprised. Why do you want to leave for 10 months? That is a misconception. It’s not that we, foreign exchange students, want to leave home, we just wanted to come here. We all realized that this was a great opportunity to go and live in another country and another culture. Home will always be there.

I’ve always been fascinated by the USA and its melting pot culture. Something like a high school for example, is really American. Where most of us are from, we go to school to learn, study and all the unexcited things in life. Our social lives are mostly out of school. Here, they play sports in school, friends go usually to the same school, your social life IS mostly school. One year of high school in the USA is really different from what we’re used to. When I tell people I already graduated they react shocked; why would you come here then?

Good question, you know, sometimes it’s even hard to explain that to myself. After my high school I just didn’t want to go to the next educational facility. No, I wanted to travel, meet new people and do things I’ve never done before. Though, I wondered sometimes why I wanted to leave my friends, family and lifestyle. They support me, and I got this far, I’ll make it. This year was sure successful.

Of course you have your ups and downs, it’s not always easy. People forget you paused YOUR LIFE to come here. It’s a choice I made that taught me a lot. Sometimes, because we’re foreign, you feel misunderstood. Especially in high school, with all the rumors and exaggerations, it’s hard to let everyone know who you really are. Ten months is actually a short time to really bond with people. You can only get so far, people don’t know you at all when you first get here. Now, you just hope that you won’t be forgotten here, because you sure won’t forget this place, this school and these people.

The thing is, we’re all people, we all have things we like and don’t like, that all depends on how, where and with who we grew up. If I didn’t miss home at all, wouldn’t that be a bad thing? Things I’ll miss in America are still the food (we don’t always eat what we like), the amazing people I’ve met, places I went to and even people you see every day. You get used to this “second” life too. It’ll be hard to go home. They warn you for a culture shock, because of course things have changed at home. Then I wonder where my real home is? They say that home is where the heart is. I agree, so I guess that means that my heart will never be whole again.