Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
WAITSBURG - It is not unusual for Waitsburg high schoolers to study alongside a student from a foreign country - learning about the exchange student's way of life while introducing them to American ways and local traditions. This year, for the first time in several years, Waitsburg is not host to an exchange student.
With area exchange programs actively soliciting both host families and students interested in intercultural learning experiences, The Times decided to check in with last year's exchange students - Chaloei Dai and Thibault Martinelle - and see what they have been up to since returning home.
Chaloei Dai - Shanghai, China
Chaolei Dai - known as Cherry to her Waitsburg friends - came to Waitsburg High School from Shanghai, the largest city in the world. Dai stayed with host family Mickey and Tawnya Richards and their children Kyle and Katelynn Martin. She especially enjoyed all their animals, and she experienced her first horse ride in Waitsburg. At WHS, Cherry played basketball and participated in Knowledge Bowl and band.
Dai says she is taking her junior year over again in Shanghai and will finish high school next year. "The courses here are quite different; most of them are compulsory. We don't have guitar class here!" she said.
Dai shared that she has joined a couple of clubs as well. One is Model United Nations, which she signed up for "because of the awesome experience I had in Youth & Government" last year. Dai says she still loves basketball and is working to improve her skills. She expressed appreciation for all the help she received from her Waitsburg coaches and teammates and misses the camaraderie.
Dai said there have been many changes since her return home - all good. "I can feel the relationships within my family have been brought closer. We have more family interactions - like cooking!" Dai recently spent a week-long Spring Festival (to celebrate the Chinese New Year) with her grandparents in Qingdao.
"I just enjoy spending time with them, listening to them sharing stories about their youth and telling stories of my life. 'Family' means a lot to me, especially after I had a second home in Waitsburg. The love I received from Tawnya's family, from the community, from all of you, made be a happier girl who is willing to love and help people around me."
Dai said that she misses her Waitsburg friends a great deal but has been able to keep in touch with friends and teachers via email. "I've been writing postcards. They're probably on their way. Oops! That is supposed to be a surprise!"
Dai also misses her host family and says she especially enjoyed the gift exchange with them this Christmas. "Tawnya sends me newspapers once in awhile. It's really nice for her to do it so I can catch up with you. I still feel super excited every time I read them. I'll be like, 'Look! Mom, my friend is on the news!'"
Dai says she has several colleges and study interests in mind, though no particular career plan yet. She plans to "figure it out in college," which she is already looking forward to. Dai said it would be "super cool" to travel around in college, possibly returning to Waitsburg to see her friends again. "You're always welcome in China," she said.
Thibault Martinelle - Waterloo, Belguim
Thibault Martinelle spent his senior year in Waitsburg, living with host family Norman and Melissa Hansen and their son, EJ Meserve. Martinelle was very active at WHS where playing American football was "a dream come true." Martinelle also participated in basketball, track and knowledge bowl. One of the highlights of his time in Waitsburg was attending a Seattle Seahawks game with his host family. "I heard that the Seahawks won [the Super Bowl] - that's awesome!" said Martinelle.
Just as he had planned in his February 2013 interview with The Times, Martinelle has been busy travelling since his return home. During the summer he visited Rome with his sister, Greece with a friend and Corsica with his family. "I did a lot of fun stuff with my family and friends in Belgium, too," he said.
In mid-September, Martinelle began college at Louvain La-Nueve where he is studying civil engineering. "My first finals went great," he said. "My English helps me a lot because some of my classes are in English."
"I really miss the people from Waitsburg and the sports and activities like football, fishing and four- wheeling. I also miss the place and all the nature there is," said Martinelle. He feels that he returned home from Waitsburg "a lot more open- minded."
Martinelle hopes to take part in some type of volunteer project abroad this summer, though he isn't sure exactly what yet.
Get Involved
According to AFS Intercultural Programs volunteer Fred Crowe, rural communities have a great deal to offer exchange students. "I grew up in a small town that had an active AFS program and I know that kids placed in those communities are a much larger part of the community than are kids placed in cities simply because they get to know nearly everyone," said Crowe.
Melissa Hansen, host- mom to Thibault Martinelle, said, "It's been one of the best experiences we've ever had. I think hosting is something everyone should do."
There are several area agencies that coordinate families interested in hosting an exchange student and facilitate students interested in participating long or short-term exchanges. See Page 6 for information on ASF and ASSE exchange programs.
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