Youth for Understanding helps welcome exchange students to the Quad Cities

MOLINE, Ill. — Marian Eersels of Belgium arrived in Bettendorf just over two weeks ago. 

“I had a flight for eight hours and 40 minutes to Chicago, and then a one-hour flight to Moline,” Marian said.

Emma Ojanen of Finland has had even less time in town, arriving on Wednesday night.

“I (flew) to Dallas, about 10 hours and 30 minutes, and then to Moline in like 1.5 hours,” Emma said. 

They’re both now exchange students at Bettendorf High School. Although in a new country with unfamiliar surroundings, Marian and Emma are not on their own. They have families to stay with through the Youth for Understanding Exchange Program.

“You treat them just like your own,” Becky Nelson, local coordinator for Youth for Understanding said. “They have rules, they have curfew, they have chores, whatever you do with your own kids.”

After not getting the chance to be an exchange student while she was in school, Nelson felt as if she missed out on the experience. Then in 1994, a new opportunity arose.

“As a single parent with a two-year-old daughter, I had an extra bedroom. And one of my students’ families that I teach, they had an exchange (student). And they said to give it a try and then I was just kind of hooked,” Nelson said.

She never thought that over 30 years later, she’d now be a local coordinator for the exchange program, along with hosting her 39th and 40th exchange student. Nelson now finds families for students like the 43 exchange students coming to the Quad Cities.

But Youth for Understanding Exchange Program doesn’t only have students coming in from abroad; they’re also sending Bettendorf students across the world.

“We had a student here from Bettendorf go to Germany last year on one of our scholarship programs. That has been a dream of his since before ninth grade,” Nelson said.

With plenty of places to go, Marian and Emma ended up in Bettendorf. Although it’s a bit of a change in some ways, they’re both prepared to see what Iowa has to offer.

“I’m especially excited for the food. And then just to make new friends and try new things,” Marian said.

“And like American holidays like Thanksgiving, we don’t have that at home,” Emma said.

Both students will be spending the 2025-26 school year at Bettendorf High School. They’ll head back to their home countries in 10 months.