[huge_it_slider id=”5                                        “]

Each year, students from all over the world have the opportunity to go to different high schools and have new experiences through the American Foreign Service association.

This year, Ventura High School has five foreign exchange students, four of which are female, and one of which is male. The students’ grades range from sophomore to senior years.

According to the exchange students, they do not get to pick where they are going, or their host family. They are required to fill out information about themselves and send it to AFS. The families then choose their exchange student, who will stay with them for one year, based off of their information.

The students only pick what country they want to go to. From there, they fill out what interests they have and what they would like to experience in their new temporary residence. Families who have similar interests then choose a student to live with them for the next year.

The host families take in a teenager, who becomes part of a new family, and with them, experiences American culture, traditions, and holidays. Every exchange student will get a slightly different experience depending on their host family.

While exchange students may have trouble with the English language, they say VHS teachers and students alike are very nice, and help them out a lot.

It may seem scary at first to move to a new country without family or friends, but, according to the exchange students, they are really enjoying Ventura and VHS, and they are making new friends.