Some say that it takes just one person to open your eyes to a new perspective. For some students, that one person is an SYA teacher. For others it is a host family member. For the luckiest of SYA students, it’s both. 

Dating back to SYA’s first year in 1964, the host family component has been an integral part of SYA’s DNA. Thousands of host family members and over 8,500 alumni have forever been changed, highlighting the transformative power of exposing students to new perspectives through the host family experience. 

As countless alumni will attest, their host family provided much more than meals, a place to do homework and a bed; they provided a home — a supportive and immersive environment beyond the walls of “school.” Alums recall conversations with their host family members at the dinner table about an upcoming election, a favorite television show or even a controversial viewpoint. These conversations opened their minds and helped them come to understand that there is more than one way of living in the world. 

For host families, the experience is just as enriching and mutually beneficial. Host families delight in sharing their daily lives, traditions, customs and local favorites with their new family member. And in turn, they get to learn about their student’s daily lives, traditions and customs, too. Alums often fondly remember cooking their host family a Thanksgiving dinner or sharing a secret family recipe.  

Some families have hosted students for decades, like the Le Fevres in Rennes. At the 50th anniversary of SYA France, there was a group of people surrounding an elderly couple. In Madame Le Fevre’s hand, printed in the finest of cursive, was a list of 25 students they had hosted over the years, many of whom were standing next to her that day. We recently learned that Mme. Le Fevre wanted to give back by providing a warm and nurturing home for American students because during WWII American soldiers came to her aid. She kept all the letters written to her over the years by her SYA “children.”  

The SYA family tree grows as relatives become host parents, including former host siblings who have continued their family legacies. One such story is that of Maddy Butcher FR’82 ES’08P FR’10P ES’13P whose French host brother became her son Beau’s (FR’10) host father. “Every once in a while, you roll a Yahtzee! And what a thrill to hit the jackpot,” she wrote in a 2010 article. “That’s how I feel about School Year Abroad and the tremendous gift of family and friendship that this year was passed on to a second generation of my host family and to my son.”  

There are decades of alumni stories filled with attending weddings and funerals, flying across the ocean to meet their host grandchildren and hosting extended family members’ visits both here and abroad. This is the norm, not the exception. 

In surveys conducted over the last several years, alumni credit their host families as one of the most valued – and critical – parts of their study abroad experience. An anonymous alumni submission through the recent NEASC survey included: 

Somehow there was space made for me to integrate the different way of life that my host family introduced me to in a way that changed my world view forever to be much more open, curious about difference, more egalitarian and culturally humble.

It’s a powerful relationship. And one that is made possible through the impact of our community's generous support of the SYA Fund.

We invite you to read along as Mimi, Reagan and Angela share stories and insights about their host family experiences.

Sweetest Sixteen
Mimi W. FR'24 (The Barstow School)

Throughout my childhood, I’ve watched countless series and movies around the arguably most important birthday: the Sweet Sixteen. With stories promising me that my life truly begins when I can finally drive, gain independence, and spend long afternoons with my friends, no longer confined by the “Can your mom drop us off?” or the “I need a ride, my parents are busy,”  I was prepared to spend my sixteenth beginning my Teenage Dream, however, between Kinder Eggs and a bowl, I realized I couldn’t imagine spending my sixteenth birthday anywhere but in France.

Beginning with the simple “Joyeux Anniversaire,” my birthday morning and school day flew with the “Happy Birthdays” from classmates and teachers– The Birthday Committee, a section of the Spirit Club, gifted me my birthday card, signed with notes from friends and classmates, alongside a Kinder Egg; the banned ones within the States. Memorized by this forbidden plastic joy, Olaf, my friends, and I ventured after school to Carrefour. Within the emptied classrooms, we cracked open our newly purchased Kinder Eggs, hoping Sitch would join Olaf. We giggled as we listened to music, finally adopting the French customs of relishing and talking until the sky darkened.

Yet– as I began to walk upon fall leaves, I would discover that my birthday had just begun. Before I left, anxiety around my host family snaked into my bones, slithering into the divots and creases within my mind. However, as I stared into my dinner: Mac & Cheese, the Frenchified version, I realized I had forged a genuine bond with my host family.  I received a balloon-decorated card, discovering the Happy Birthday notes my host family had written me – with my host dad and little sister, Margot, writing in English and French. Wrapped in navy, I received a tiny white ceramic bowl with a shallow inside that depicted Brittany’s landscape, with my first name, JUDITH, displayed across the middle on the exterior. As I ate my carte au citron, the tangy taste , my host mom explained how “Everyone in Brittany has their bowl.” Essentially, I’ve become French. While my French skills might not agree– this birthday solidified that I have a community here, in school, and within my host family. While I’m 3,000 miles away from home, I’ve found another home in France; and though I won’t be driving until Summer, I think my Sixteenth here was a better exchange.

Buon Compleanno!
Reagan H. IT'24 (Mercersburg Academy)

Birthdays abroad are weird. If you’re lucky, there’s a 75% chance you’ll experience one if you’re a full-year student, and a slim 37.5% chance to celebrate if you’re only abroad for the semester. For the past sixteen years, my birthday celebrations have more or less looked the same: new pairs of obnoxiously patterned socks, heartfelt cards from my relatives, and a dinner consisting of my favorite dishes. Despite the turbulent atmosphere and inconsistency of life, every year I can rely on these traditions; they are my constant. Prior to my arrival, I found myself visualizing what my life would look like in Italy. I imagined trying everything that was new to me, embracing the different, immersing myself in the unknown. Then, I realized: I would be spending my seventeenth birthday in Italy. An amalgamation of unidentifiable emotions overwhelmed me — I would be spending my seventeenth birthday in Italy! On the other hand, I would be spending my seventeenth birthday in Italy; without my family, without my traditions, without my constants.

My birthday arrived on a Monday morning in October. As I sat at my desk, hunched over my math homework, my host mother leaned her head into my room with a beaming smile. “Seventeen!” she said, her excitement barely contained. “Buon compleanno.” She wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace, dissolving some of the sorrow that accompanied spending my birthday away from home. Upon walking into the kitchen for breakfast, my usual spot at the table was occupied with balloons and a large sign that read Happy Birthday, “in English just for you,” my host mother clarified. At school, my friends never let me forget it was a special day, even banding together to order me an elaborate cake to share with the whole school.

That evening, I went out with my host family to a lovely pizzeria, just as I would do at home. After the meal, an extravagant cake was brought out, adorned with lit candles. The whole restaurant joined in to sing for me, and my cheeks turned red from an odd mix of embarrassment and gratitude. Stomachs full of pizza and cake, my host family slid gifts down the table as they impatiently urged me to open them. I reached into a paper bag and pulled out the first thing I touched— a ridiculously colorful pair of socks. If you are part of that 75 or 37.5, take advantage of it. Perhaps it will feel weird to abandon the comfort of your traditions, but you will never forget your birthday abroad. Traditions have to be born at some point, so lean into your unusual celebration, and you may even end up permanently incorporating some aspects into your annual festivities.

Mindsets and Exploration: The Impacts of Studying Abroad
Angela M. ES'24 (Vistamar School)

We have officially been in Zaragoza longer than the amount of days we have left. When a friend brought this up to me, I could not believe how fast time has gone by, and how much I have grown since my departure. Studying abroad these past four months has taught me more about myself than any other school setting has. Before my departure from home, living in a new city without having any immediate friendships or family scared me. Yet I also knew SYA meant I could be whoever I wanted, and could share as much – or as little – about my life back home as I saw fit. In the beginning, I thought it would be so easy to put my life in California on pause. I thought two flights would transform me into a new person, but that was not the case... It took time. Real change happens when you go out of your way to explore, when cultural acceptance and appreciation comes easier than criticism does. When I stopped questioning why shoes aren’t worn in my house, why I give two kisses on the cheek when greeting people, and why umbrellas go in the bathtub… This is what has made my study abroad experience so worthwhile.

Now, I feel like I have reached a calm after the storm. I feel happy and at peace with where I am. I have made friendships that I will never forget, I have traveled all around Spain, and cannot wait to see all that the second semester offers. I’ve learned to make the most out of every day that I have here, because I know that I will never be this age again, getting to live in such a beautiful place like Zaragoza, surrounded by so many amazing people. So, what else is there to do but enjoy every second of this?

During winter break, my host sister and I traveled up to the Pyrenees together. She got nervous because she had never been on a train alone, but I knew we could do it because SYA had built up my confidence to explore the country independently. I was surprised at my calmness— “the old me” would not have reacted that way. Living in such a big city like Los Angeles meant having my parents drive me everywhere, and even taking the Metro alone made me nervous. 

Once we arrived in Jaca, we spent the New Year together. We ate 12 grapes at midnight for good luck, each of us wishing for something special in 2024. I spent the holidays with my new family in Spain, and came back to school to friends that mean everything to me.