Youth For Understanding USA

Meet Kotone, a spirited girl from Japan known for her infectious positivity. Enthusiastic about engaging with others, she's a dedicated member of her school's library committee and home economics club, where she helped bake 1000 cookies for a festival. Kotone's zest for learning extends beyond academics; she dreams of a future in teaching. Inspired by her mother's Japanese recipes, she's eager to share these culinary delights with her host family abroad. Kotone is thrilled to immerse herself in new experiences, from home activities to attending church, making her an integral part of her host family's life. Kotone is also an avid skier and looks forward to hitting the slopes with her host family, making unforgettable memories together.

Meet Kuanysh, or Kuka, a 16 year old boy from Kazakhstan. Kuka is a bright, sociable, friendly boy who is looking forward to studying in the USA! At home, Kuka loves to play basketball, chess, read and play the dombra, the national instrument of Kazakhstan. He would like to continue his hobbies but would also love to learn the game of billiards while on exchange. He is also very interested in learning the English language, our culture while sharing some of his with his new family! Kuka would like to say thank you and can't wait to be a part of your family, making wonderful memories that will last a lifetime! FLEX Scholarship Student!

Meet curious, jovial and sociable Tom from France! Tom hopes to become a pilot and loves learning about aviation. Tom loves boxing and surfing. Tom also enjoys hiking and camping with his friends and his family. Tom enjoys cooking and baking especially his favorite tiramisu recipe. Tom loves animals and has two cats and a dog at home. Tom is excited to learn more about the US while on exchange. Could you be the host family who would like to fly into a great year with Tom?

Artistic and music-oriented, Alice from Italy enjoys singing in choir, collecting vinyl records, and listening to alternative, rap, trap, and Italian indie music. She also enjoys working out in the gym, and has been fencing for 8 years. Alice considers herself to be trustworthy, loyal, and easy going, and maybe a little bossy sometimes. Among Alice's hobbies are reading, shopping, watching movies makeup, and writing because each allows her to bring out her creative side. She can't wait to try out new activities with her new host family! She also tried out knitting during COVID, and baked a lot of chocolate muffins (although she says they weren't very good!) Alice enjoys traveling with her family, attending school activities, volunteering, and going to the beach. Alice decided to become an exchange student because she wanted to push her limits and expand her horizons, with the goal to become more independent and to do something big completely on her own. Alice is excited to meet her host family and is eager to immerse herself in the life of an American teen!

Lorenzo from Italy is active and sporty, and loves playing basketball! He likes to explore, is fun, nice, and honest. When hanging out with friends, they like to walk to the city center, work out, and play basketball. Lorenzo enjoys cooking foods from Italy and other European countries, or Asian cuisine. With family, he likes to cook, go for walks, watch movies or shows, travel, or do some gardening. Lorenzo is close with his grandparents, uncle, aunt and cousin. Lorenzo says I hope I will learn and do new experiences that will make me a better person in all aspects. He also hopes to have a great time with his host family!

Say "bonjour!" to Eva, from France! With a love of, and flair, for cooking and baking, Eva just may be the missing ingredient in your family! When she's not in the kitchen, Eva loves to shop, be with her friends, and play with her animals. She is also well-traveled; having spent time in many European countries, and even a previous visit to the United States. Eva is ready for a total, independent, immersion in the American culture and way of life, though. She yearns to discover more about herself and her new family all at the same time. Will you invite this ambitious and determined young lady into your home and heart?

Sporty and social Joshua from Dutch-speaking Belgium can't wait to meet you and join your family! Joshua's biggest passion in life is basketball, and he would be thrilled to join his host school's team. When he's not on the court, Joshua unwinds by playing video games and hanging out with his friends. He also much prefers to be around people, rather than by himself. Joshua is also a self-described foodie, with a slight preference for both vegetables AND junk food. Will you help Joshua score his biggest dream of coming to the US? He just might steal your heart in the process!

Introducing Jagoda, an active 15 year old young lady from Poland. Jagoda loves to travel, and has visited 22 countries so far! Jagoda would love to travel around the world! She and her family's favorite sport is horseback riding, and they ride almost every day. She'd love to try cheerleading or surfing while in the US. Her friends say that she is polite and creative, and her teacher says that she is well organized and responsible. Jagoda can't wait to meet her American host family, and thanks them for opening their home.

Do you have an appetite for French food? Yanis, from France, would love to share his cooking skills and knowledge of French food with you! Helpful, curious, and polite, Yanis is well liked by friends and teachers. Everyone says he is a great listener. At school, he finds areas of geography, history, math and Spanish most interesting. Yanis plays soccer, works out at the gym and swims, but Brazilian Jiu-Jit-su is his main sport, which he hopes to continue while in the US. Family oriented, Yanis says that his family often play board games together, go on walks, and practice sports. He enjoys playing video games and hanging out with friends, but balances these things with some alone time. He is a bit intimidated by dogs, but is willing to live with a dog-loving host family. With a brother just a year younger than he, Yanis enjoys time they spend together, practicing photography, traveling, watching sports or fishing. While on exchange, he hopes to expand his view of the world, gain a bit of autonomy and learn some things about himself.

Creative, calm, and sporty, Alan from Paraguay plays soccer and loves drawing. He also has a side that loves watching car races, riding horses, and going fast himself: maybe you can go to an amusement park together! Computers are another interest; gaming, programming, and website building, as well as robotics. Alan loves cars, and is fixing one up with his step-father. With his family, they cut the lawn together or enjoy the calm quiet of the countryside. With friends, Alan goes shopping, plays soccer, or goes to the movies. Alans favorite music is from the 80s and 90s, especially rap, and his favorite movies are from the same era. Alan hopes to gain first-hand experience of life in the USA, meet new people, and make memories!

Flavio is a 17-year old Italian student who enjoys baking, computer games, listening to music, shopping, travel and playing volleyball! Flavio would describe himself as a cheerful, kind and funny individual. His teachers would say that he is a respectful and enthusiastic student. A passion of Flavio's is fashion; he believes that him and his best friend are the best dressed duo in the city of Milan! Flavio hopes to improve his English while in the U.S and he also desires to learn new things, such as singing.

Lucia, 15, from Spain has the type of peaceful personality that will serve her well in her future career as an air traffic controller! She's shy and sociable and is known as very loyal to her close friends with whom she enjoys walks and museum visits in town. Lucia dearly loves animals, especially caring for her little rabbit, and she would enjoy any pets of your family. She enjoyed basketball before the pandemic and hopes to continue playing in the U.S. She was also part of a youth club that did various activities including drama, crafts, and cooking. Movies, documentaries, and reading books entertain her. Having heard so many stories about the exchange experiences of both her mother and her sister, she is eager to make her own unique experience and relationship with you!

Violette (Viovio) is ready to dance her way into your family for a semester! Violette is a 16-year old dancer from France. She would describe herself as a patient, calm, wise, and optimist individual. She hopes that this exchange experience will help her to become more open and less shy. In her spare time, Violette enjoys dancing, drawing, painting, photography, skiing, traveling, and much more! She has been to the U.S a few times already, visiting popular cities, such as NYC, Boston and Philadelphia. She feels very lucky to have visited the U.S. She loves the idea of discovering a new culture and having new experiences. She cannot wait to become part of your family as long as there are no snakes, spiders, or large excitable dogs in the household.

"Brave, confident, and not afraid to step out of my comfort zone", Sofia from Estonia describes herself aptly! Active and adventurous, Sofia deeply values her family and friends and tries to share for joy for life with all. Whether she's at the beach with her bestie or baking up a sweet treat with her siblings, Sofia sees time spent together as a gift. She hopes to travel the globe and make the world a better place, saying she appreciates building her communication and problem-solving skills in support of these endeavors. With a host of hobbies including volleyball and crafting, Sofia hopes to try even more activities while on exchange -- perhaps basketball or cheerleading? Hiking and exploring National Parks? Sofia can't wait to meet her host family and start creating lifelong memories together.

Fernanda dreams of becoming a physician, more specifically a neurologist, and would like to attend an American or European university to achieve her dream. Strong academic interests in sciences and math have started in on her way. Fernanda comes from a YFU family. With a YFU alumni older sister and an uncle working with YFU Chile, she well understands the benefits and challenges of the exchange experience. Describing her natural family as calm, entertaining, and supportive, Fernanda enjoys family time playing board games, watching movies, working out at the gym, and traveling when time permits. Friends is one of her favorite TV series, and Fernanda loves spending time with her own friends going to the mall, watching comedy movies, or walking to the beach and watching sunsets. At home in the kitchen, she especially loves preparing sweets and will bring a collection of favorite recipes to delight her host familys taste buds. Described by classmates as sweet, kind, and calm, Fernandas ideal host family would include another teenager or two.

Eager Emilia from Argentina an active student with a passion for field hockey. She also enjoys playing soccer and watching many other sports like ice hockey and rugby. Emilia's school doesn't offer extracurricular activities, so she fantasizes about the sports or clubs she could join in the US! A dedicated student, Emilia enjoys both her classes and peers and is described as motivated, organized, and responsible by her teachers. When Emilia isn't busy with her studies or sports she enjoys gathering with friends to kayak or visit amusement parks. With her family she can be found playing card and board games, or visiting her parent's bakery. Emilia is interested in becoming a world traveler and has been dreaming of her exchange in US for years. She's gotten to visit a few times and says "every time I go, I like it more!" Will your family be the best part yet of Emilia's US obsession?

Active Diego from Chile is ready be a star member of his American school's sports teams! Whether he continues with basketball or gets to try new activities like football or track, Diego says he's looking forward to exploring athletics while on exchange. Diego most appreciates the teamwork that goes into sports teams, saying the support and motivation keep him dedicated. In his free time Diego likes to play video games or keep cool poolside. As a hardworking student, Diego is respected by teachers and peers for being enthusiastic and helpful. Although he's unsure what career his studies will lead to, he can imagine a future in business and world travel. After seeing his older sister travel abroad with YFU and become a volunteer afterwards, Diego knew cultural exchange was something he wanted to experience. Will you help broaden Diego's horizons and welcome him in your family?

Alisa loves animals! Growing up in a family with dogs, cats, and five horses, she helps care for them, plays with the smaller animals, rides during the summer, and chose five years ago to become a vegetarian. Alisa attends a school emphasizing music and sports although, of course, also requiring standard academic courses. Alisa studies piano and plays during her free time while also devoting many after-school hours to the volleyball team. If possible, she would like to continue volleyball during her exchange year. Skiing, ice skating, swimming, and riding mopeds help fill her winter and summer outdoor hours, sometimes with family and other times with friends. Indoors she may be working at a local supermarket or home watching movies, volleyball, or soccer, listening to her favorite rap and pop music, or cooking. Alisha wants you to know she is very excited to learn about your family traditions and your daily life.

Are you ready for volleyball with Enkhchimeg, nicknamed Eny? Talkative, fun-loving, Eny will happily teach you if you dont already play. If badminton or swimming is more your style, shes ready to join in or to learn new activities from you. As a school council member, Eny eagerly helps plan school events. I like to learn to plan, she explains; We also learn to listen to each other, to improve our communication skills and teamwork skills. Crafting and drawing are among Enys other favorite pastimes, and she especially enjoys fashion drawing. While in the U.S., she would like to try her hand at ceramics if possible. She always loves seeing results from the arts. Eny comes from a close-knit family of five. Whether watching movies together, helping in the kitchen, celebrating holidays, or traveling, Eny thrives on family time as well as hanging out with friends. With her strong sense of social justice and equality, an open mind, and abundant optimism and curiosity, Eny is well prepared to make the most of her exchange year.