international student exchange Archives - Student Ambassador Exchange

New Year, New Cultural Activities!

The start of New Year’s Day, at midnight on January 1st, is heralded by fireworks, parties and special events, which are often televised. Very few people have to work on the day itself. For many it is a day of recovery from the New Year’s Eve celebrations the previous night. In some towns and cities, parades are held and special football games are played. The birth of the first baby in the New Year is often celebrated with gifts to his or her parents and appearances in local newspapers and on local news shows. Many people make New Year’s resolutions. These are usually promises to themselves that they will improve something in their own lives. Common New Year’s resolutions are to stop smoking or drinking alcohol, to lose weight, exercise more or to live a healthier lifestyle.

Martin Luther King Day, January 20th is a relatively new federal holiday and there are few long standing traditions. It is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups.

Action Plan:

Things you can do to celebrate this January!

Make a list of resolutions to try to keep in the new year
Share with your host family what you do for new years in your home country and when it is
Eat food considered lucky to eat going into the New Year! In America, these include black eyed peas, cabbage, and pork.
Listen to Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech

Meet Lily!

The month of October is upon us, and our team at Student Ambassador Exchange would like to recognize a Monitoring Local Coordinator that has consistently made an effort to go above and beyond her efforts to support our exchange students. We are proud to announce Lily as our October Local Coordinator of the Month!

Lily was born and raised in Hangzhou, China. As a little girl she always had a passion to travel and explore different countries and cultures. Almost two decades ago, Lily came to Tennessee as an exchange student. Attracted to the southern hospitality, country music, beautiful scenery and authentic southern cooking, Lily fell in love with Music City and has called it home ever since.

Her career started at Opryland Hotel, where she was hired as an intern. She completed the training program and went on to become a management associate in one of the largest hotel chains in the country.

Wanting to gain experience in consumer lending, Lily worked in the financial lending arena. Thinking that lending and real estate go hand in hand, Lily went on to become a licensed real estate agent. Her dream of running her own business has now become a reality!

Besides truly enjoying working with people, Lily also speaks fluent Mandarin, as well as English of course. She is currently a Chinese language instructor at two different facilities in Williamson County. Lily’s heart is to use her skills and knowledge to help people settle into their new Tennessee home.

Her unique experience in hospitality and finance, coupled with her bilingual skills and her genuine desire to help people, make Lily an outstanding asset to Student Ambassador Exchange. She has enjoyed so much to work with her host family and students. She hopes these unique experiences will be the lifelong joyful memories to many students to come.

Immerse in Spanish

Learn a New Language from Home

As an adult, learning a new language can be challenging and daunting. Many people do not know where to begin. Experts in linguistics agree immersion in the language is a top way to learn a language quickly. However, traveling globally can be expensive and time consuming. We have the perfect solution! – Hosting a foreign exchange student is an opportunity to speak with a native speaker without leaving home. Daily language exchanges with your host student will teach you a new language in no time.

A host student is also an excellent learning experience for children. Children are able to pick up on languages quickly. Their brains are like sponges soaking up knowledge. If you have children in the home, a foreign exchange student speaking their native language could greatly influence your child. Our exchange students from Spain are excited to share their culture and language with your family. With Spanish as the 2^nd most spoken language in the United States, this experience will be mutually beneficial.

At Student Ambassador Exchange (SAE), we connect you to an international exchange student in need of a host family.

Find an exchange student for your family here: http://saeglobal.org/student-exchange-photolisting/