Dear host family,

I’m Lyra, from Taipei, Taiwan. I’m 16 years old and currently a first-year senior high school student. I’m an outgoing and active person, and I’ve loved drawing since I was little. That’s why I’ve been in art classes both in middle school and high school, which has helped me grow and learn more about art.

Since I’ve been focusing on art for a long time, I started to want to step out of my comfort zone, experience different cultures, and improve my English. So, I suggested becoming an exchange student. Luckily, my parents have been very supportive of this idea and helped me make this dream come true. This is a great opportunity for me to open up my world.

Although I’m the only child in my family, I have a chubby cat who brings me a lot of joy and company. I also have a great relationship with my parents. We support each other like friends. Whether it’s preparing for exams, facing challenges, or this exchange student opportunity, they always give me the support I need and help me follow my dreams.

I’m usually very busy with school. I often come home late because of tutoring and then stay up late doing homework and drawing. On weekends, I go to the art studio to improve my skills, while still balancing my studies. But I have a very good friend who has been with me since middle school. Even though we go to different high schools now, we still chat online or video call every day. When we were in middle school, I often stayed at her house, and we spent almost every holiday together. Now, we only meet once a week at the art studio, but that makes me appreciate our time together even more. We always share little things from our lives, and this friendship means a lot to me.

Besides drawing, I also love swimming, which goes back to when I was part of the swim team when I was younger. Even though schoolwork and art assignments are heavy, and the competition at my school is tough, I still make time to swim. For me, swimming is not just a sport but a way to relax and keep my body and mind in balance.

The reason I decided to become an exchange student is because my dream is to study at an art university in the United States. I believe this exchange experience will not only improve my English but also help me understand local life better. I also hope to share Chinese culture with you, like teaching you calligraphy (which I’m good at) or introducing you to our food and red envelope traditions. I’m excited to experience different teaching styles, and I hope this experience will make me more confident and ready for future challenges.

Can't wait to see and have a wonderful year with you!

best wishes,

Lyra

Dear host family,

My name is Alvaro, I am Spanish and I am 14 years old. I am currently in 9th grade and I am looking forward to studying in the United States next year (10th grade). I will turn 15 in May 2025. In recent years I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do after high school and I have made the decision to spend a year in an English-speaking country because I know that English will be very important in whatever I finally decide to study. It was not difficult for me to choose the United State of America after my 2023 vacation because I was able to confirm that it is a beautiful and interesting country, as can be seen in movies, documentaries and TV series.

We are a family of four. My mother is a dentist and works for a dental clinic in Tenerife. Her name is Rita, she is Spanish and she is 48 years old. She supports me in my decision to go to the USA for a year, although she does not like the idea of ​​not being able to see me every day, as does my father. My father is called Jesus, he is Spanish, he is 54 years old and he is a civil engineer. As me, he is a very sporty person. I have a sister too. Her name is Valeria and she is 19 years old. My sister is not only my sister, but also a good friend and she can make me laugh at any situation in life. My sister is currently in college studying Marketing in Zaragoza – Spain. Although I could have chosen any other English-speaking country to spend an academic year in, the USA has always fascinated me as a country to really get to know its culture.

As for my school activities, I can say that I study at a public high school. I really like going to class. I am a very good and responsible student. I have a great time with my friends and my favorite school subjects are physical education, math and languages. I have a cordial relationship with my teachers.

After school, depending on the day, I do different extracurricular activities. These are: volleyball, tennis, gymnastics, piano and English. Every weekend, I have volleyball and tennis competitions, so I stay very physically active and entertained. In addition, I help my parents with househod chores, I always try to keep my room tidy and I am in charge of cleaning the yard.

My favorite foods are burgers, pizzas, meatballs and Italian pasta, although I also like chicken and a good steak. I really like going out with my friends to the cinema, to the beach and hiking, a very safe activity in Tenerife.

I consider myself an open, simple, honest and responsible person and I would like to find a host family with the same goals and who can teach me the benefits of American culture. In tense situations, , I try to do things well and calmly, I assume my responsibilities and manage my time well.

I have wanted to study abroad for a long time and I hope that my academic year in the USA will be very good and instructive.

I hope that with this short letter, you have gotten to know me a little better and I look forward to meeting you son.

Kind Regards.

Dear Host Family,

My name is Atai and I am 16 years old. I am applying to study in the United States I am incredibly excited about this opportunity. Let me introduce myself and tell you about my interests.

I live in Kyrgyzstan with my family and do not have siblings. Both of my parents are working, father owns a business company in electronic sphere, my mom works in international organization specialized on human rights. I love my family very much and we like to spend time together. Very often we visit my grandparents. This has helped me develop a caring and protective nature. For example, last year in December I spent vacation in Vietnam with my grandparents. I took full responsibility in taking care about my grandmother who is 74 years old during our trip and helped them communicating as they do not speak English. My parents have always been very supportive and have taught me important life skills, including how to handle various situations and treat people with respect.

Usually I am quiet and calm, but I always enjoy spending time outdoor with a company for example friends, classmates or relatives. My parents encourage me to work hard and follow my dreams while reminding me to always be polite and kind to others. A lot of my parent's friends and my classmates saying that I am non-conflict and open-mind person.

In my free time I am enjoying sport activities such as swimming and boxing, it's very interesting and helps me to support my health and be strong. Also I like playing video games and reading books, especially novels, detectives and about self-development and politics. In 2023 I participated Harvard Model United Nations and visited top universities in United States. After visiting the U.S., my desire to experience American culture and education grew even stronger. In my school I am spending a lot of extracurricular time participating in UN Model debates. After school we play soccer with my classmates, this makes us closer and develops our teamwork, which I do really enjoy. I do like holidays, when whole family celebrates and have a fun, my favorite holiday is a New Year, when there is a party and everyone there enjoys I also feel good.

Studying in the United States is important to me because I believe it offers unique opportunities for personal and academic growth. I am eager to learn about different cultures, meet new people, and immerse myself in American traditions. I find American culture fascinating and believe it will broaden my perspective. I am especially interested in improving my English skills and exploring the innovative American education system. I hope to take on new subjects, join various extracurricular activities, and make wonderful memories along the way.

Thank you for taking time to read my application and consider me as part of your family.

Dear family,

I'm Valentina. I’m currently 14 years old, but in February of 2025, I will turn 15. I live in the north of Spain with my parents and my little sister. It’s a lovely region, surrounded by beautiful landscapes and natural beauty.

I absolutely love the place I was born because of its peaceful environment and breathtaking scenery, but ever since I was a child, I’ve had a deep curiosity about the world. I’ve always dreamed of exploring new countries, learning about different cultures, and meeting people with diverse backgrounds. This curiosity has also fueled my passion for languages—I really enjoy learning them and take every opportunity to practice and improve.

I’m particularly interested in experiencing the U.S. education system because of its variety of subjects and innovative evaluation methods. I feel that it offers a unique way of learning that could help me grow academically and personally. I also admire how schools in the U.S. emphasize extracurricular activities, from clubs to sports, which I’m very eager to explore.

One of the things I look forward to the most is trying out different sports. I’ve heard so much about the strong sports culture in the U.S., and I’m excited to join some teams, even if it’s just to try something new and make friends. I’m especially looking forward to watching high school basketball games—I love the energy and excitement, even though I’m not very good at playing basketball myself. I’d also love to experience other sports, as I enjoy the community spirit they bring.

In my free time, I enjoy running, reading, and listening to music. Running helps me clear my mind, and I find it refreshing. When it comes to reading, I love getting lost in stories, especially those that mix romance with elements of mystery, horror, or science fiction. As for music, it’s a huge part of my life. I listen to a variety of genres, but my favorite artist is Lana Del Rey. I admire her unique style, and knowing she’s from New York makes me feel even more connected to her music.

One of the things I’m most excited about is sharing in a family’s everyday life. I truly believe this is the best way to experience a new culture, understand its traditions, and create meaningful connections. I’m looking forward to contributing to daily activities, trying new foods, and embracing everything that’s different from my usual routine.

Whenever I have the chance to travel or learn something new, I always take it, as I’m deeply passionate about personal growth and expanding my horizons. This experience in the U.S. represents an incredible opportunity for me to grow, not just as a student, but as a person.

I can’t wait to discover new places, live unforgettable experiences, and meet amazing people. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity, and I promise to approach everything with an open mind and give my very best.

Thank you so much for making this possible. I’m excited to start this journey and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Valentina.

Dear future family,

My name is Alain and I am 15 years old. I am a cheerful boy who enjoys relationships with other people, like my family, my friends.... In my family we are 5 people and we have a cat, of the 5 I am the youngest.

I come from a close and supportive family. My mother works for the government, my father on the other hand directs and advises companies. My older brother is a great athlete and studies animal health care, my sister is studying nursing at the university. The relationship with my siblings is very good even though we usually argue but then one way or another we solve it because we love each other very much. My parents have always encouraged me to be respectful, responsible, and open to new experiences. I will miss my family while I'm away, but I'm looking forward to building new conections with new people.

I would describe myself as an open-minded, friendly and funny person. I enjoy meeting new people and learning from different perspectives. It is true that at the begining I am I little bit shy, but then when I take confidence I am an amusing guy.

I consider myself a good student and I love sports, I speak 3 languages and I am studying a fourth one in school. I like to ride motorcycles especialy when I go with my father. I like to make people around me laugh and make them smile which is a very important thing in life. I consider myself very competitive in sports and when things don't go well sometimes I get angry with myself. In my free time I like to spend my time with my friends.

One of my goals for this experience is to improve my English skills and learn about American culture, traditions, and lifestyle. As I love traveling and I'm an active person I'm very excited about discovering new places and new activities to do, I would enjoy all your experiences that you offer to me.

I'm also excited to share my own culture and traditions with you. Spain is a country rich in traditions, and I would love to introduce you to some of them. I can teach you about our famous recipes and food. I would also love to talk about our language history and even our music. I believe that this exchange will be a great way for both of us to learn from each other.

Thank you for reading my letter, I'm looking forward to know who my family is going to be next year and I'm sure that it will be a incredible experience.

See you soon!