The Casey family in Sachse grows a little bigger every year. That's because this is the 4th year they've hosted a foreign exchange student.
"It just extends our family," Mandy and Keith Casey said. "Our oldest is the reason that we got into this in the first place. She went to school and came home and said, "Oh my gosh there are these students from all over the world and you can just get one!' So then we had to look into what was involved in 'getting one,' 'cause I didn't think it was quite as easy as going to pick out a puppy!"
This year, the Caseys are hosting Frederique Galje from the Netherlands, who arrived in North Texas about a month ago.
"Everything is big," Galje said of her first impressions of Texas. "I'm really excited about the football games."
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The nonprofit Education, Travel, & Culture helps place exchange students with host families. This year, there are still 40 students waiting to be matched.
"This year it's been especially hard. I think inflation, people are just kinda scared of what's happening in our country," Education, Travel, & Culture Assistant Field Manager Chelsea Tresp said. "They go back and tell their friends and family, 'Hey Texas is amazing! I loved being in Texas. It was one of the best experiences of my life!'"
Tresp and the Caseys say they stay in regular contact with their past foreign exchange student 'sons' and 'daughters.'
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"And we get a lot out of it, just learning about their culture and sharing ours," Mandy Casey said.
"I think if people see more of the world, they understand it," Galje said. "And they have more people to connect with."
The State Department sets the deadline for host family assignments and student visas, which is this Saturday, August 31. For more information about becoming a host family, click here.
