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Tracey Rickman is preparing to welcome a 16-year-old international student from India into her home through the USA High School program, which needs Chattanooga host families.
“My son attends CSAS and he had a friend who was in the program and would spend time at our house,” said Rickman, an East Ridge resident. “One of the reasons we decided to host is because it was a very good experience for my children to be exposed to diversity through the last exchange student.”
Rickman has three sons. Her oldest son recently moved into an apartment and left her an empty room. She decided to fill it in a way that would broaden her family’s cultural horizons. She applied to host a student through the Council on International Educational Exchange of Chattanooga.
Council of International Educational Exchange team leader Laurel Sapp, left, and local coordinator Cheryl Wyckoff prepare for the arrival of the first batch of international students and are still looking for around 15 host families for them.
Laurel Sapp, CIEE team leader, said of the 25-30 students arriving there are around 15 who still need to be placed with a host family. She said Rickman’s student will not arrive with the first batch July 28, but will arrive August 12 and stay a full 10 months and leave two weeks after school is out.
“Our mission statement is to build a global community,” Sapp said. “What better way to educate others than through the students who are the future leaders of their country.”
Sapp said the international students are all 15-18 years old, have studied English for at least three years, have medical insurance and their own spending money. Host families will be asked to provide them with breakfast, dinner and an overall American-family experience. Each student is interviewed in person by CIEE personnel before being admitted to the program and usually fits into a family with few difficulties.
The families are also given a federal background check before being permitted to host a student.
“Getting to know one another, breaking the ice and getting him to feel he’s part of our family will be a challenge,” Rickman said. “It’ll be a learning curve for us to learn about his culture and his interests.”
Rickman said her family is very active outdoors and often camps in the fall, which is a tradition she plans to share with their new family member. She said she and her son also took his previous exchange student friend to DollyWood and to the Smoky Mountains. She said they will hopefully take this student there as well.
“These children are very well educated and very well mannered and they really want to be here,” Rickman said. “The student we met before, in the time he was around us, was so positive we still stay in contact with him.”
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