Youth For Understanding USA

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!

Ruba, from Libya, is a girl with a remarkable background, having lived in China for about 3 years when she was younger. She is an artist who loves to write and draw and hopes to have a career in interior design. She attends an international school now. Her teacher states Ruba is an exceptional student, who shows great maturity and motivation. Ruba even creates study guides for her difficult courses and her writing is wonderful. Ruba has a close loving family, and as one of six, she has a share of chores to help at home. She loves having conversations with family and friends. Ruba is hoping to join a writing group at her American school or in the community. Ruba is looking forward to joining her host family and growing lifelong relationships. YES SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT

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!

Dive into an unforgettable experience with Kim, the passionate swimmer from Germany! Kim's love for swimming isn't just a hobby but a true passion, and she's also a dedicated instructor, hinting at her potential as a future educator. Described as friendly, hard-working, and generous, Kim thrives on staying active and being helpful around the house. Beyond her dedication to academics and chores, Kim's interests span a wide spectrum, from team sports and movies to outdoor activities and travel. Despite her strong bond with her family, Kim is determined to embark on her American dream, driven by a desire to immerse herself in English and experience life in the USA firsthand. Having explored various countries, Kim relishes the opportunity to learn about diverse cultures, making her an ideal cultural ambassador. Balancing her time between family, friends, and hobbies, Kim cherishes meaningful connections and is eager to become a part of your family. She's grateful for the chance to join your household and hopes to share in your American traditions and adventures. Could your family be the one to welcome Kim and embark on an enriching cultural exchange?

Meet Said, a multilingual boy from Azerbaijan. He lives with his parents and 2 sisters and enjoys quality family time including board games and movie nights. He plans to build a career around business and is adamant about contributing to the world. With friends he enjoys playing volleyball and volunteering, saying both endeavors foster teamwork and friendship. In his free time, Said enjoys reading, chess, and hiking in a nearby forest. Said is thankful for this opportunity to explore new experiences and looks forward to becoming the newest member of your family. FLEX SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT

Trendy, sporty, with a love of fashion and shopping, meet Jeane, from France. Jeane is social, easy-going, and ambitious; and knows what she does and doesnt like! Coming from a blended family, Jeane has two older brothers and two sisters, as well as a dog, and has no trouble staying busy. At school, she enjoys the logic in math; movement in sports; and has a love of physics and chemistry. Friends describe her as honest, sporty and full of energy! At home she shares bike rides with her dad and runs with her mom. Board games are a favorite among the kids. She has played basketball for 9 years, but looks to expand her experience while on exchange, possibly giving cheerleading or another new sport a try. Her goals for exchange include becoming truly bilingual, meeting lots of new friends, and living the American dream. Coming from a large and close-kit family, Jeanne hopes to land in a host family that is active and family-oriented. She is OK with dogs, but does NOT like cats or rats. She is excited to share French culture and cuisine; would love to see an NBA game; and is excited to investigate American fashion.

Maria is a 16-year old girl from Italy who is looking to fulfill her dream of living in the U.S for a year! Maria would describe herself as a sociable, responsible, and determined girl. Her family loves to travel and she has seen many Italian cities and European cities. Her family enjoys winter sports such as skiing and enjoys being at the beach in the summer. Maria has a strong passion for fashion and strives to manage a fashion company some day! One of her goals for her time abroad is to try new activities and make as many memories as possible. Particularly, she would like to try a new sport while abroad. Welcome Maria into your 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.

Meet sporty Anni from Finland! Anni loves being involved in sports; the movement and physical activity are exhilarating for her. When she's not working out or playing sports, Anni is either studying or hanging out with her friends. With a passion for helping others, Anni aspires to be a doctor someday, with her father as her inspiration. Anni is very close with her father, as well as with the rest of her family. Learning new things is Anni's greatest motivation for going on exchange. She loves meeting new people and seeing as much of the world as she can. She particularly wants to experience life in an American family and American high school. Anni can't wait to feel the school spirit and all the customs of her host family. Will your family be the one to welcome Anni into a new world of learning and understanding?

Meet 15 year old Louis from France! Louis describes himself as kind, active and athletic. He can often be found on the tennis court where he plays his favorite sport, which he hopes that he'll be able to continue playing in the US. Louis was inspired to go to the US due to the experiences of his father who used to live in the US. He'd like to see the beauty of the nation as well as experiencing the culture and learning English better. In addition to his interest in athletics, Louis enjoys music and plays the saxophone. Music helps to motivate him and to calm him. In school, Louis enjoys studying math, physics and history with hopes of becoming an aeronautics engineer in the future. Perhaps your family will be cheering Louis from the sidelines of the tennis court next fall.

Remi, 15, from France welcomes being part of a family, a group, a team, and a scout troop. Though he's shy, he's a good community member who loves to laugh with others he cares about. He has participated in floor hockey for years, but he's totally open to trying new activities in his new community. His years in scouting were with a special troop that has focused on sailing and the sea. As you can imagine, he enjoys the outdoors, including skiing, fishing, camping, biking. As one of four siblings, he loves family life too such as cozy movie nights with family and cooking together with his mother and discussing current events. Sincere and respectful, you will enjoy Remi's positive attitude and ready laughter!

If you're a family that enjoys lively conversations, Lucile from France may be a wonderful match. She is described as someone who builds relationships, loves to exchange ideas, and listens to understand. She works hard in school and gets along very well with teachers and classmates. Luciles favorite subjects are geopolitics and math. She hopes to enter the field of engineering. Lucile has a close relationship with her parents, siblings, and her grandmother who lives nearby. She will be happy if her host family has children and pets (except for snakes). In her free time, Lucile enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music, and going to movies. Luciles passion is volleyball. She hopes to be able to play with her schools team. Lucile is hoping this exchange experience will help her grow in maturity, open mindedness, and independence. She is very thankful to her host family for this amazing opportunity.

Isabella is a 15 year old girl from Denmark who describes herself as positive, caring and open-minded. She admits she loves to talk and share thoughts and ideas. Family (Dad, Mon and older sister) are important to Isabella - spending time together playing board games, watching movies and always having dinner where they discuss the day's activities. Isa says she really enjoys reading and listening to music. She is a member of a dance team and enjoys swimming, which she finds a fun way to exercise. Teachers describe Isa as hard working - a student who feels education is very important. A social girl, she has many friends and is always in a good mood. Isa is excited about beginning her exchange experience and looking forward to meeting her host family and new friends.

Meet 16 year old Phat from Vietnam who goes by the English name Jimmy. He describes himself as an active and friendly person who loves to travel and have new experiences. Of course, he can't wait to experience life and the culture of the US first hand. Jimmy appreciates every opportunity presented to him and hopes to "live life to the fullest." Jimmy is close to the members of his family, all six of them, and also enjoys time with his friends. Jimmy is passionate about soccer and can be found playing a friendly game several times a week. In school, Jimmy enjoys studying chemistry with hopes to become a scientist or psychologist in the future. Will your family greet Jimmy at the airport and introduce him to life in the US?

With a passion for theater/drama and dancing, meet Lily from France! Lily has been dancing for over 10 years and loves to incorporate it into theater arts. Lily describes herself as an active teen who does lots of sporty activities. She is involved in track and field back home (hurdles and high jump). She is self confident and tries to use positive energy to help her meet her goals. Lily is funny but serious, independent, honest and caring. Lily believes in self-care and incorporates this routine for herself on Sundays. Hobbies for Lily include playing the piano and singing, cooking, fashion and modeling shows, shopping, outdoor activities, and spending time with family and friends. Lily enjoys listening to different genres of music including old disco, rap from the 90s, and calming new songs. Lily likes animals even though her family doesn't have any pets. Lily writes that she has a wonderful relationship with her family. They share meals and conversation as well as cooking, music, and vacationing. Lily enjoys cooking and is hoping to cook some authentic meals for her American family! Lily has a dream to become an actress one day, and what better opportunity to show her talents that an exchange in the US!

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!

Azra, from Turkey, is a girl who strives to sow seeds of goodness in everything she does. Azra loves studying science and languages and creating art. She has big dreams and plans to become a pilot. Azra loves being involved in social action activities as she wants to contribute positive changes to the people in the community. With friends, she enjoys the usual teen activities, getting together, shopping and volunteering. Azra has a close relationship with her family. They have meals together, take walks, play games, and watch movies. Trying new recipes with her dad is one of her favorite things to do. She is used to preparing her own meals in her household. Azra cant wait to meet her host family. She hopes they share with her any cultural festivals and visit historical sites and museums/art galleries in the community. If she could visit a national park or participate in a NASA program open to the public, she would be thrilled. Azra wants to experience how Americas diverse cultures live together, and to expand her world view. She looks forward to sharing her Turkish culture with her family and community. Azra will be a wonderful addition to your family. YES SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Set up the games for Demir! Whether you love table tennis, chess, other board games, or video games. Demir is your boy. With a passion for competitive chess, he also takes on his brother for video games after school and before homework and a family dinner. No one to play against? Thats also not a problem for Demir, who writes, I love Rubiks Cube in my free time because it has a lot of possibility that I can find out when Im playing with it. Do you have another favorite game? If so, teach it to Demir, who loves group activities and looks forward to new challenges. Described as an intelligent group leader always willing to help other students with difficult concepts, Demir is also said to have exceptional communication skills. All this should help him achieve his goal of becoming a physicist in an American university someday. Eager to learn all he can about U.S. culture and lifestyle, Demir looks forward to trying new activities and experiencing daily life with his American host family. YES SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

An active Girl Scout, Julianne is at home in the wilderness. What I like most about scouting is different activities such as camping hiking, and having fun, she writes. Much of the fun comes from being together and doing things she normally do, like droppings when a group is dropped off somewhere, not knowing where they are, and must work together to find their way home. Julianne also volunteers as one of a group of leaders with younger Scouts, ages 7-11. An animal lover, Julianne has been a recreational horseback rider for many years and has also learned natural horsemanship," which involves dealing with horses in an animal friendly way. She currently works with Shetland ponies, putting them through a variety of exercises. Along with her outdoor activities, Julianne takes jiujitsu lessons, has taken woodworking lessons with her dad, and spends free time drawing. Its easy to pick up pencils and start, she explains; I find it relaxing. With a mom who came to the U.S. with YFU, Julianne is now looking forward to her own American exchange year.

Leonie from France sparkles with an inspiring joie de vivre which will fill your home with sunshine. That's because the most important thing to her is making others happy. Coming from a large blended family, Leonie spends part of her time with each parent, one in the countryside and one in town. She has two older brothers but especially enjoys time with her preschool brothers, playing with and looking after them. Because she enjoys children, she dreams of a career as a midwife. She participates in a dance team, and she enjoys outdoor activities like skiing and hiking. Leonie is talkative, selfless, independent and sociable. She has learned to be helpful in the home and the kitchen because of her role in her large family. After hearing relatives speak so fondly of their own YFU exchanges, she's ready to jump into your family.