El Paso Foreign Exchange Students In Need Of Homes
Their native languages may be different, but their laughs are like those of any other teens.
Still, four foreign exchange students living in El Paso have found themselves in a situation that’s really not a laughing matter.
The local families that agreed to host the four teens for the duration of the school year have changed their minds and backed out, and that has both the students and their program coordinator scrambling to make new living arrangements.
“Maybe they didn’t understand what the experience was going to be like,” Perla Retana said of the host families.
Retana is the El Paso community coordinator for PAX, short for Program of Academic Exchange.
She said families who open their homes to exchange students do not receive any money and must pass a rigorous screening and interview process.
The students, for their part, must also maintain passing grades while in the U.S., take part in at least two extra-curricular activities and perform 15 hours of community service during their five or 10 month stay.
Retana, a coordinator for the last two years, told ABC-7 she has never had any issues with any of her students in the past and worries the current situation will ruin the experience for the four teens now living in limbo.
“They go to a new school, a new family, a new everything,” she said. “So, having to go through everything twice? It can be stressful.”
Gathered at Retana’s home Thursday night, the exchange students said they’re happy living in the Sun City.
“I like it here; I love El Paso,” said Wonmo of South Korea. He attends El Paso High School.
“I want to stay here,” echoed Whitney, a young girl from Brazil now at Franklin High.
Maike, a 16-year-old from Germany who is also attending Franklin, told ABC-7 her family back home is beginning to get nervous, and so is she.
“I’m thinking about going back to Germany,” Maike said. “But, actually, that’s not what I want because I want to do this experience.”
The fourth teen looking for a home is a 17-year-old boy named Siratat. He is from Thailand and is enrolled at Austin High School.
Any families interested in helping the exchange students can e-mail Perla Retana at perlanahi@yahoo.com.
You can also find more information on the PAX website below:
