The AFS Exchange

Dr. Mitch Besser’s experience in South Africa began on his AFS program in the early 1970s, in the middle of the era of apartheid. 50 years later, his strong connection to the country remains. 

Mitch’s AFS program enabled him to break free from the limitations of his small-town upbringing and explore new possibilities, ultimately leading him to establish mothers2mothers, an organization that empowers women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. After 22 years, mothers2mothers has created nearly 12,000 jobs for women living with HIV and reached more than 15 million people with critical health services.

Check out this episode to learn more about the life changing work that AFSers are doing all over the world, all with the goal to #PassPeaceForward. 

Guest:
Dr. Mitch Besser

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You don’t need to go abroad for an entire year to be impacted by international exchange. In this episode, we explore the transformative power of short-term study abroad programs for high school students via 3 interviews with former participants to Spain in 2019.

They share their memories and insights on living with host families, learning Spanish, and exploring the culture and history of Valladolid. Through their stories, we discover how just two weeks outside of the U.S. can broaden one's perspective, spark a lifelong passion for language and culture, and inspire future academic and career goals. Tune in to hear about the impact of short-term study abroad and learn about scholarship opportunities for AFS programs.

Guests:
Amanah Qureshi
Ryan Rodriguez
Taylor Tendall

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Hosting an exchange student can bring a variety of benefits to host families, especially those with children, as it can change the way children perceive and interact with the world. In this episode we hear from several guests who have been either host siblings or host families with AFS-USA. Discover the benefits that hosting an exchange student can bring to your family, including teaching your children patience, compassion, and curiosity. Hear from our guests about their experiences bonding with young people from other cultures and the lasting impact it had on them. 

We will hear from two host fathers and their son about their experience hosting a student from Germany last year. Next, we will hear from a former AFS-USA student from Norway about his time becoming an older brother. We will then talk to one of his host brothers in the U.S. about his experiences having multiple host brothers from different countries as he was growing up.

Learn more about hosting and meet the types of students you could welcome at www.afsusa.org/host.

Guests:
Jim Walker
Ethan Taylor
Juan Carlos Walker
Erik Knutsen
Chris Kowalski

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Participating in an exchange program is an opportunity to have many new experiences… like finding yourself with new siblings! Living with host siblings can really add another dimension to an exchange program for a participant.

From the point of view of the host family, this experience can help open their child’s eyes to a world beyond their own. These exchanges allow host siblings of any age to begin to understand that despite living thousands of miles apart and speaking different languages, we have far more in common than we realize.

In this episode we hear from Erika from Norway and her host sister Jessica. Erika is in the middle of her exchange year in Ohio. Our second interview is a conversation with former host sister Janne Debes, who is still close with her Japanese host sister after more than 50 years.

Guests:
Erika
Jessica
Janne Debes

More from AFS-USA: 🏠Host a Student | ✈️Study Abroad | 🤝Volunteer | 🏫For Educators | 📧Contact the Show | 🎧Collections

AFS-USA aims to empower high school students with essential global skills and a passion for creating positive change. Through the Global Citizen Scholarships and Aid program, they are committed to supporting students from all backgrounds.

AFS-USA partners with Community-based Organizations (CBOs), family foundations, individual donors, AFS-USA alums, and others to make Global Citizen Scholarships and Aid possible.

This episode includes interviews with volunteers and staff who work with two CBOs: The Dean’s Future Scholars Program in Reno, Nevada and the QUEST Scholarship Fund in St. Louis, Missouri. We will learn how the opportunity to study abroad has impacted the lives of students in their communities, and why it is so important to support these programs.

Visit afsusa.org/scholarships to learn more.

Guests:
Tara Hofmann
Lynn Whetstone
Victor Garcia
Suzanne Sebert

More from AFS-USA: 🏠Host a Student | ✈️Study Abroad | 🤝Volunteer | 🏫For Educators | 📧Contact the Show | 🎧Collections

In honor of International Education week, The AFS Exchange brings you conversations with the awardees of AFS-USA’s 2022 Global Awards! These awardees were recognized earlier this year for their commitment to helping the next generation achieve global and intercultural competence. 

We hear from Global Educator Award winner Josh Amstuz from Cleveland, Ohio about how he became interested in international education after a trip to Madrid with his father. We learn more about project-based learning and his role at the Academy of Global Studies at Winton Woods High School.

The winner of the Global School Award was Oconomowoc High School in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Carrie Schultz, Danielle Chaussée, and Jason Curtis share about the value of highlighting global competence in their school. They also discuss the benefits of welcoming multiple AFS students each year, giving their students the ability to learn about other cultures without traveling themselves. The impact AFSers can have on a school community is really far-reaching- no airplane required! That’s the #AFSeffect!

Guests:
Josh Amstutz
Carrie Schultz
Danielle Chaussée
Jason Curtis

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Jim Kiernan’s AFS experience in Germany in 1961 was an eye-opener. He had never left the northeast United States, but after just a summer in Germany he returned home with a strong desire to learn more about the world and, in his words, “live more.” 

In this episode, we hear about Jim’s AFS experience, his Fulbright program in Brazil, and his extensive professional career with the international law firm Debevoise & Plimpton. After a few years in New York, Jim moved to France to help build up the firm’s European practice. Jim is now retired and splits his time between London and Washington DC.

Jim’s path is a clear example of how AFS can influence your professional and personal life. In AFS’s 75 year history, there are so many participants whose lives have been guided by their experiences with AFS. 

In honor of AFS’s 75th anniversary, The AFS Exchange is releasing 4 episodes this month! That’s 4 times the stories of the impact AFS has had over the years. 

Guest: Jim Kiernan 

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This episode focused on the impact of AFS on one family in particular- Dana, Camille, Ricardo, and Yasemin. Dana’s mother, Camille, hosted Ricardo from Brazil in 1974.

A few years later, Dana went to Turkey with AFS-USA. Yasemin was her host sister, and despite having no common language at the time, they two quickly became friends and found other ways to communicate. 

We all got together to hear about the role AFS has played in their lives and the relationships they still share. In AFS’s 75 year history, the impact that AFS has had on the lives of its participants is immeasurable. That’s the #AFSeffect.

In honor of AFS’s 75th anniversary, The AFS Exchange is releasing 4 episodes this month! That’s 4 times the stories of the impact AFS has had over the years. 

Guests:
Dana Rutson
Camille Linen
Ricardo Ferriera
Yasemin Modler

More from AFS-USA: 🏠Host a Student | ✈️Study Abroad | 🤝Volunteer | 🏫For Educators | 📧Contact the Show | 🎧Collections

After Dave Schrader’s summer in Austria with AFS, he returned back to the US eager to help future exchange students through their programs. He has led orientations for hundreds of departing US students and incoming international students over the years. In this episode, we learn more about these orientations and why they are so important to ensure that students have a great program. Dave also shares about his experience in Austria, and the long relationship he continues to have with his host family. 

In honor of AFS’s 75th anniversary, The AFS Exchange is releasing 4 episodes this month! That’s 4 times the stories of the impact AFS has had over the years. 

Guests:
Dave Schrader
Dona Goede
Martha Friend

More from AFS-USA: 🏠Host a Student | ✈️Study Abroad | 🤝Volunteer | 🏫For Educators | 📧Contact the Show | 🎧Collections

6 years ago, Fen left Bangkok, Thailand to begin his AFS year outside of Houston, Texas. In this episode, Fen shares his insights on his exchange year with 6 years’ worth of distance. He shares the skills he took away from his time in the US, and we hear his advice for future exchange students.

In honor of AFS’s 75th anniversary, The AFS Exchange is releasing 4 episodes this month! That’s 4 times the stories of the impact AFS has had over the years.

Guest: Fen Namwat 

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