Exchange student program pushes through delays

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – International exchange students are spending the school year here in Southwest Louisiana, but getting here wasn’t as easy as before.

Students from across the globe hit the Lake Charles beach this weekend, kicking off their time in Louisiana with sun, sand, and smiles. Organizers say the journey to get here wasn’t simple.

Renee Bailey, Regional Manager of the International Student Exchange Program, shares what has been different with the Trump Administration’s new policies and how they have overcome them.

“With everything going on with a shift in administration, we did have some families concerned and wanted to defer their students,” Bailey said. “Our program is really good about ensuring that once they get here, they’re going to be successful, and it’s gonna be fine, and they’ll be well taken care of. That’s what we’re here for, and that’s what we do.”

Despite delays, local families stepped forward, some opening their doors for the first time.

A first-time host for students, Brian Sacksteder, shares what his experience has been like.

“At the end of the day, it’s day-to-day life. Nothing changes because of what’s going on in the world. It’s your life, your family, and you’re sharing an experience with another kid that doesn’t know anything about the American traditions,” Sacksteder said.

Despite a slow start with paperwork and concerns with families abroad, the program says, interest hasn’t gone away. In fact, for some students, this is their first time in the U.S. For others, it’s their fourth time.

Other families, like Ashlynn Pinner and her husband, have hosted for years and say each new student is family.

“You worry how they’re going to feel about you, how they’re going to feel about school and home, and how they’re going to adjust. This is our third student to host, and she’s already family,” Pinner said. “In our eyes, we have three girls from all over the world just watching them really become family. It’s not an exchange student, it’s not a host family, it’s family.”

For students, the exchange is both an adjustment and an adventure. They say even though they miss their families and friends, the humidity and food are a different experience.

“The southern hospitality is really nice,” one student said.

“In my school in Germany, there are like 100 to 200 people, and teachers switch the room, not the students. We have a new schedule almost every day, and it’s so different here,” another student said.

“You use a lot of paper plates,” a third student said.

Even with the challenges, organizers say the benefits of exchange go far beyond the classroom.

Bailey said that they would want more support from the parish school districts to assist with these students.

“If we can get some parish deadlines extended with some of our districts, that would be great. We want to work on that because we believe in cultural exchange. It’s a great thing, not just for our students and for our families, but really for our peers that are in school with them, they’re learning a lot,” Bailey said.

Organizers also said that the more families they have to participate, the more students they can bring to have the same experience.

Students said they hope to return memories and experiences during their time here.

For more information on how to be a host, click HERE.

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