The Reason I Became a Local Coordinator – A Short Story

Toward the end of 2020, I was looking for a different path in my career. I was looking for something new, something I hadn’t done before.

When I saw the listing, I wondered what it meant to be a Local Coordinator. I imagined it would be fun, though difficult and daunting. Though I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect, I took the leap, and I’m glad I did.

Three years later, I’ve gotten to connect with wonderful host families and wonderful exchange students. I’ve had the privilege of learning so much from my students about where they are from in addition to learning from my peers and my Regional Director.

The connections with others has been the most meaningful throughout this journey. Being a Local Coordinator is such a fun process. Talking to people about other countries and giving students the opportunity to learn about America is heart warming. I’ve enjoyed hearing about the history others have had with hosting over the years.

My favorite experience has been getting to see my students participate in their favorite sports. Currently one of my students excels at Soccer, and the other at Wrestling. They are both wonderful kids and I’m going to be sad to see them have to go home at the end of the school year!