Friday, March 8, 2019
French Students 2019
USMD 2019 – June 16-July 7 Usually we get a group of French kids for 3 weeks in July, however this year we are looking forward to an earlier group. Being able to spend Fourth of July here will be a real treat for this group of 15-16 year olds. In this year of their academic life, they get out of school two weeks earlier than students who must take year-end exams. So they are already super happy and ready to come to Nashville and experience life with an American teenager and their friends and family! For more information about hosting, please click on the link to contact the local coordinator.
(Placed!) Jean-Baptiste recently turned 16 and has a younger brother and sister. His mother is a farmer and his father works with animal nutrition in the agro-industrial field. They live in central northern France, near Provins which is a medieval city. Jean-Baptiste attends high school in Paris and works hard to achieve his goal to be a laboratory researcher. He likes sports and has been playing rugby since he was young; and he also enjoys swimming, basketball, golf, tennis, and skiing. He enjoys TV and movies, computers, science, and history. Jean-Baptiste is looking forward to coming to Nashville to live with a nice family who will share their daily life with him while he works hard to improve his English. In return, next summer Jean-Baptiste and his family will welcome his host teen on a reciprocal visit!
(Placed!) Antoine is an active 16 year old who loves sports of all kinds. He especially likes tennis, golf and soccer, as well as fishing, hiking and swimming. Other favored activities include boating, TV, movies, technology, art and science. He lives in western France not too far from the coast. Antoine has one brother who is 20 years old and his parents are directors of a vet clinic and in the construction financial industry. He describes himself as responsible, open-minded and easygoing. He has enjoyed travel to many countries including USA, Canada, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Tanzia, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
(Placed!) Olivia is 16 years old and she describes herself as helpful, smiling and lighthearted. She lives with her parents and 20 year old sister in Le Mans, about 2 hours from Paris. Her parents are eager for this opportunity for their daughter to learn a new culture and improve her English which is at at academic level but not practiced enough with only 2 hours of class time a week. She has taken English in school for 6 years and Italian for 2 years. Olivia loves animals, gymnastics, horseback riding, swimming and travel. She says she is a simple girl, sometimes quiet, not very complicated. She likes to be active, outside, and discover different places. Olivia believes this trip will serve her well because while she is a little reserved at first, it will be a very good experience to meet new people and improve herself. She wants to practice her English at the most maximum amount possible during her 3 week stay. Olivia is excited for the chance to live at the pace her American host family enjoys and is thankful for your welcome.
(Placed!) Jeanne is coming to Nashville to improve an already very good level of English comprehension and seeks to improve her conversational skills. She is 16 and has an older sister who also participated in the USMD program and loved the experience; they have had such great experiences with cultural exchange and in fact, Jeanne spent 3 months in Australia living with a host family. She has been to the United States previously having visited California, New York and Florida. Jeannie is happy to discover Tennessee next! She wonders about country music and cowboys because she doesn't know this culture at all! Jeanne has found in her travels and immersion experiences that she enjoys meeting new people to create friendships with and to have a unique and fun experience with a host family. Jeanne enjoys spending a lot of time with her family too. She writes that there are many younger cousins and she has a big family that spends as much time together that they can. She lives in La Rochelle which is a city close to the sea; there, they do many things on foot and enjoy their beautiful city. She lists as some of her favorite activities boating, dance, travel, modern music, animals, cooking, fashion and shopping. She also enjoys any activity that takes place outdoors such as horseback riding, hiking, and the beach.
(Placed!) Matthias - 13 years old, will be 14 in October. He likes the typical things: soccer, swimming, TV/Movies. He is traveling with USMD's founder, to accompany the group here. They must return to France early but we would like for him to have fun in a family with a teen his age while he is here.
(Placed!) Axelle will be 16 this August and lives in the North of France within easy visiting distance to Belgium. She is ready to improve her English, having spent 1 week each summer for the last several years with a family in England. In France, Axelle would be traveling, swimming and sailing, and she very much looks forward to participating in the things your family enjoys doing during the summer and trying out new things. She is sociable, open-minded and everything interests her. Axelle likes gymnastics as one of her school options and enjoys being with friends, watching movies, shopping, animals, music, sports and travel. Axelle has an 18 year old sister. Her family is ready to receive you next summer if you’d like to visit!
(Placed!) Pierre is almost 16 years old and lives with his parents and 3 sisters in the town of Pontoise located about 20 miles from Paris. He attends a Catholic high school and his classes include French, English, Science, Math, Spanish, a Sport (we would say PE), and his favorite topic: History. He has played rugby for 8 years and coaches the under 8 age group in his club. He says he really loves this game! He doesn’t have a clear professional project yet, but Pierre is interested in Economy, Business and History. He likes watching Netflix (Casa de Papel, Narcos or Breaking Bad) and he also enjoys other sports such as soccer and volleyball. He wants to come to the USA to discover a new culture and upgrading his English level. He finds America interesting in terms of culture, economy, sports and people.
(Placed!) Lilou is 16 years old and comes from Port Vendres where she lives with her mother. Lilou is accompanying two French friends who are both returning to spend another summer with their previous host families. Lilou has a wide variety of interests and likes to do many things. Her favorites are sports, dance, swimming, travel, modern music, nature, beach trips, science, fashion, and shopping.
(Placed!) Faustina is 16 years old and lives near Lille, in the North of France. Her parents are both high school administrators and Faustina enjoys school and hopes to become fluent in English. She has a 19 year old brother and is a calm, hard-working girl who greatly enjoys drawing, climbing, reading, animals, movies, fashion and shopping. She’s traveled to Greece, Italy, Turkey and Mexico with her family, however, this will be the first time Faustina has come to the United States. She is delighted to have this opportunity to discover it firsthand. In her words, "America makes me dream because, in my opinion, it stands for freedom and greatness”.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Host Family - Kathy
Our family has had the opportunity to host French students through USMD. We have hosted twice and had amazing experiences both times. Both students, Aude and Theo, have been very respectful, pleasant, and eager to learn more about American culture. It was our pleasure to host Aude and Theo, we have kept in touch and visited Aude in Paris and plan to visit Theo in France this summer! Our family would highly recommend this program to others as it has enriched our lives and created lifelong friendships!
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
French Students 2018
In total, 10 French students will travel here with our wonderful French
chaperone Samira (the kids love her and so do we!). They look forward to
spending time in a family and experiencing life as a typical American
teenager while improving their conversational English. Please contact
the coordinator if you'd like to know more about one of these students -
there is a complete application including photos and a letter for the
potential host families.
(Placed!) Aliénor turned 16 in May and she has written a letter to her future host family in which she describes herself as curious, open-minded, considerate, and easy going. She enjoys meeting new people and making new friends. She outlined her goals to come here to learn about the history of the state of Tennessee; as well as to improve her conversational skills, learn new vocabulary and improve her accent. Aliénor says, “By living in a family during my stay, I’m sure to live ‘the American way’ of life, discover a new culture, traditions". She loves history, reading, drama, cooking, biking, swim, classical music, and travel. Last summer she went to a camp and learned to sail. She lives in Paris with her parents, her mother is a military officer and her father is a contractor. Aliénor has an older sister who is 18, and two brothers who are 14 and 12 years old. They are a close-knit family and she will enjoy being part of yours too.
(Placed!) Augustin, is 13 year old, and lives in Paris. Last year he was in the United States in a 3 week camp. He is the third of 4 children in his family - he says that has helped him to be someone who is cheerful, sociable and enjoys being with people. Augustin is really into sports and enjoys following the NBA, swimming, playing tennis and soccer, however, rugby is his main sport. He is a fan of American culture, tv and cinema. His favorite foods are pasta carbonara, hamburgers and steak. Augustin enjoys cooking and trying new foods too. In his downtime, Augustin enjoys computers, drawing and listening to music. He is a typical French teenager who is very engaged and ready to live as a young American. Nashville seems to be a very interesting city to discover while he works on his English comprehension skills. At the end of the USMD stay, rather than return to France with the group, Augustin will go visit his aunt, who lives in Memphis. Next summer, Augustin and his family are prepared to welcome his American host teen in Paris should you wish discover his city and culture in a reciprocal visit.
(Placed!) Alexandre, age 17, is returning to the United States after having come here with his family when they visited New York, California, and Florida. Alexandre loves traveling and is eager to experience a homestay which is quite different than being a tourist. He believes Tennessee will be the perfect state to learn all about the American lifestyle. Alexandre wants a true immersive experience, without any French spoken during his 3 weeks here to get the greatest benefit possible. Alexandre plans to go into the commercial sector for his future career, and the degree of proficiency in comprehension and speaking English will be very important. He pays attention to politics and is interested in economics. Alexandre's family lives in Liege, Belgium which is one of the main French speaking cities there. He has two brothers, age 19 and 10. His father is a builder/real estate investor and his mother works in marketing. Alexandre loves all sports, motorbikes, cars, skiing and tennis. He is looking forward this experience and hopes to be in communication with the family who chooses him soon.
(Placed!) Diane is 16 years old and comes from north-central France in Beauchery Saint Martin. Her parents are both farmers and they also have sheep. She has one older sister, and she helps a neighbor take care of her daughter on weekends. She chose to be a boarding student 3 years ago to live in a community of friends while in school. Diane has had 6 years of English and is looking forward to coming to Nashville to improve her speaking ability and see what life is like for an American teenager. She participated in a similar program that allowed her to spend 2 weeks with a family in Spain. She enjoyed boosting her Spanish and experiencing a city that was really different from her village in France. She thinks coming to Nashville will be a very rewarding experience too. Prospective host families receive the student’s entire application, and this bio provides just a quick overview of the student to highlight their interests and goals in choosing this homestay experience. Diane's favorite activities are horseback riding, swimming, volleyball, rock climbing, skiing, boating, windsurfing, biking, cooking, shopping, nature and travel. It's worth noting, however, the USMD application has a list of about 40 different kinds of sports, hobbies, and interests that the students check: and Diane likes 90% of all the things listed! It’s easy to say, she’ll have a great time spending 3 weeks with your family!
(Placed!) Lola is a motivated and mature, despite her young age! She will be 12 years in June and is excited for the chance to visit the USA again. She went to NYC with her parents before, but the USMD home-stay experience is a really neat opportunity to experience more than you can as a tourist. Lola has also traveled to Spain, the Dominican Republic, Greece and Portugal. Her top 3 interests are horseback riding, animals, and cooking. She also likes boating, dance, swimming, going to the beach, fashion and of course, travel. She has two siblings who are in their 20’s; her mother is a florist and a painter, and her father is the director of a company. They live in Port Vendres which is in the south of France, near the border to Spain on the Mediterranean sea. Tennessee will be an exciting place to discover a our beautiful area, the Southern lifestyle, and many unique American experiences.
(Placed!) 15 yr old Héloïse lives close to Paris and has been studying English in school for 6 years. For her birthday, she got a host family for her summer trip here! She is the youngest of 5 children who have all enjoyed the USMD homestay experience and the children of the American families have enjoyed spending summers with Héloïse's family! She is really looking forward to her turn to discover our country and meet a new family too. Héloïse likes dancing, reading, traveling, and she is a girl scout too. Her host family also shares these interests, and we expect they will create a lasting friendship and wonderful memories this summer!
(Placed!) Estéphe is a friendly 16 year old who lives in the heart of Paris, with his parents and two younger siblings. He is responsible and looks forward to learning firsthand what it is like to live in America. His family is ready to host your teen in return next summer. Estéphe loves both sports and literature – he plays water polo every week, and is also writing a book. He likes all sports, computers, hanging out with friends and going to the movies or escape games. Estéphe has traveled to several different countries, and has been to United States previously, in Seattle and Miami. He enjoys exploring history museums and discovering other cultures. He is also involved in community service that walks a weekly patrol to give aid to homeless people. Estéphe goes to a school that teaches some subjects in English, so his comprehension level is good and he seeks to build upon it. He looks forward to spending part of his summer with your family.
(Returning Student - Placed!) Constance - we are excited to hear that Constance is returning again with USMD to stay with the same family as last summer. In fact, her American family is going to France to stay with her family in June, and then she will travel here with the exchange group in July! These bridges of discoveries and friendships are what USMD is all about! Bon Voyage to and from France y'all!
(Placed!) Charlotte turns 16 in June. She has taken 5 years of English and also Spanish. Charlotte has a younger brother who is 13 and an older sister who is 17. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a physical therapist. She’s been active French Girl Scouts for over 6 years and appreciates how it has taught her to be resourceful, a good companion and to be able to live outdoors. It sounds like the camp is a highlight of the experiences she has had with Scouting! She also likes swimming, boating and all water sports. Charlotte plays rugby and several other sports and also enjoys riding horses. She has many interests and will enjoy doing anything and everything your family wishes to share with her. In France, she and her friends like to listen to music, go to the cinema and just have a good time laughing. Her friends say she is sociable, enthusiastic and sincere. Charlotte loves children and has interned for three years to gain experience to become a teacher for young children. She is excited for this adventure, and while she has a love of travel and visits family in Hong Kong, this will be her first time to the American continent. Charlotte is already thankful for the opportunity to stay in an American family for three weeks and is very motivated to make the most of the great time she has here.
(Placed!) Lorraine, age 13, is easy-going and independent, a musician and singer, and a big Harry Potter fan. She is a very good student and skipped a grade so she is an 8th grader now. She’s already had 8 years of learning the English language so she’s ready to jump into this immersive experience to improve a very good level of fluency. Lorraine proudly supports PSG soccer (Paris Saint-Germain) and her favorite meals are pizza, fish & chips, and Japanese food. She loves travel and has been to 4 continents so far, and will love learning about the United States by living with a family for 3 weeks this July. She will easily get along with a girl her age enjoying playing board games, sailing/boating, art, cooking, shopping, theatre, going to museums, or photography. But, because Lorriane is an avid learner, she would also be thrilled to take part in completely new and different activities that you love! She has prepared a great introductory pdf for her host family and hopes to start corresponding with you soon.
(Placed!) Aliénor turned 16 in May and she has written a letter to her future host family in which she describes herself as curious, open-minded, considerate, and easy going. She enjoys meeting new people and making new friends. She outlined her goals to come here to learn about the history of the state of Tennessee; as well as to improve her conversational skills, learn new vocabulary and improve her accent. Aliénor says, “By living in a family during my stay, I’m sure to live ‘the American way’ of life, discover a new culture, traditions". She loves history, reading, drama, cooking, biking, swim, classical music, and travel. Last summer she went to a camp and learned to sail. She lives in Paris with her parents, her mother is a military officer and her father is a contractor. Aliénor has an older sister who is 18, and two brothers who are 14 and 12 years old. They are a close-knit family and she will enjoy being part of yours too.
(Placed!) Augustin, is 13 year old, and lives in Paris. Last year he was in the United States in a 3 week camp. He is the third of 4 children in his family - he says that has helped him to be someone who is cheerful, sociable and enjoys being with people. Augustin is really into sports and enjoys following the NBA, swimming, playing tennis and soccer, however, rugby is his main sport. He is a fan of American culture, tv and cinema. His favorite foods are pasta carbonara, hamburgers and steak. Augustin enjoys cooking and trying new foods too. In his downtime, Augustin enjoys computers, drawing and listening to music. He is a typical French teenager who is very engaged and ready to live as a young American. Nashville seems to be a very interesting city to discover while he works on his English comprehension skills. At the end of the USMD stay, rather than return to France with the group, Augustin will go visit his aunt, who lives in Memphis. Next summer, Augustin and his family are prepared to welcome his American host teen in Paris should you wish discover his city and culture in a reciprocal visit.
(Placed!) Alexandre, age 17, is returning to the United States after having come here with his family when they visited New York, California, and Florida. Alexandre loves traveling and is eager to experience a homestay which is quite different than being a tourist. He believes Tennessee will be the perfect state to learn all about the American lifestyle. Alexandre wants a true immersive experience, without any French spoken during his 3 weeks here to get the greatest benefit possible. Alexandre plans to go into the commercial sector for his future career, and the degree of proficiency in comprehension and speaking English will be very important. He pays attention to politics and is interested in economics. Alexandre's family lives in Liege, Belgium which is one of the main French speaking cities there. He has two brothers, age 19 and 10. His father is a builder/real estate investor and his mother works in marketing. Alexandre loves all sports, motorbikes, cars, skiing and tennis. He is looking forward this experience and hopes to be in communication with the family who chooses him soon.
(Placed!) Diane is 16 years old and comes from north-central France in Beauchery Saint Martin. Her parents are both farmers and they also have sheep. She has one older sister, and she helps a neighbor take care of her daughter on weekends. She chose to be a boarding student 3 years ago to live in a community of friends while in school. Diane has had 6 years of English and is looking forward to coming to Nashville to improve her speaking ability and see what life is like for an American teenager. She participated in a similar program that allowed her to spend 2 weeks with a family in Spain. She enjoyed boosting her Spanish and experiencing a city that was really different from her village in France. She thinks coming to Nashville will be a very rewarding experience too. Prospective host families receive the student’s entire application, and this bio provides just a quick overview of the student to highlight their interests and goals in choosing this homestay experience. Diane's favorite activities are horseback riding, swimming, volleyball, rock climbing, skiing, boating, windsurfing, biking, cooking, shopping, nature and travel. It's worth noting, however, the USMD application has a list of about 40 different kinds of sports, hobbies, and interests that the students check: and Diane likes 90% of all the things listed! It’s easy to say, she’ll have a great time spending 3 weeks with your family!
(Placed!) Lola is a motivated and mature, despite her young age! She will be 12 years in June and is excited for the chance to visit the USA again. She went to NYC with her parents before, but the USMD home-stay experience is a really neat opportunity to experience more than you can as a tourist. Lola has also traveled to Spain, the Dominican Republic, Greece and Portugal. Her top 3 interests are horseback riding, animals, and cooking. She also likes boating, dance, swimming, going to the beach, fashion and of course, travel. She has two siblings who are in their 20’s; her mother is a florist and a painter, and her father is the director of a company. They live in Port Vendres which is in the south of France, near the border to Spain on the Mediterranean sea. Tennessee will be an exciting place to discover a our beautiful area, the Southern lifestyle, and many unique American experiences.
(Placed!) 15 yr old Héloïse lives close to Paris and has been studying English in school for 6 years. For her birthday, she got a host family for her summer trip here! She is the youngest of 5 children who have all enjoyed the USMD homestay experience and the children of the American families have enjoyed spending summers with Héloïse's family! She is really looking forward to her turn to discover our country and meet a new family too. Héloïse likes dancing, reading, traveling, and she is a girl scout too. Her host family also shares these interests, and we expect they will create a lasting friendship and wonderful memories this summer!
(Placed!) Estéphe is a friendly 16 year old who lives in the heart of Paris, with his parents and two younger siblings. He is responsible and looks forward to learning firsthand what it is like to live in America. His family is ready to host your teen in return next summer. Estéphe loves both sports and literature – he plays water polo every week, and is also writing a book. He likes all sports, computers, hanging out with friends and going to the movies or escape games. Estéphe has traveled to several different countries, and has been to United States previously, in Seattle and Miami. He enjoys exploring history museums and discovering other cultures. He is also involved in community service that walks a weekly patrol to give aid to homeless people. Estéphe goes to a school that teaches some subjects in English, so his comprehension level is good and he seeks to build upon it. He looks forward to spending part of his summer with your family.
(Returning Student - Placed!) Constance - we are excited to hear that Constance is returning again with USMD to stay with the same family as last summer. In fact, her American family is going to France to stay with her family in June, and then she will travel here with the exchange group in July! These bridges of discoveries and friendships are what USMD is all about! Bon Voyage to and from France y'all!
(Placed!) Charlotte turns 16 in June. She has taken 5 years of English and also Spanish. Charlotte has a younger brother who is 13 and an older sister who is 17. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a physical therapist. She’s been active French Girl Scouts for over 6 years and appreciates how it has taught her to be resourceful, a good companion and to be able to live outdoors. It sounds like the camp is a highlight of the experiences she has had with Scouting! She also likes swimming, boating and all water sports. Charlotte plays rugby and several other sports and also enjoys riding horses. She has many interests and will enjoy doing anything and everything your family wishes to share with her. In France, she and her friends like to listen to music, go to the cinema and just have a good time laughing. Her friends say she is sociable, enthusiastic and sincere. Charlotte loves children and has interned for three years to gain experience to become a teacher for young children. She is excited for this adventure, and while she has a love of travel and visits family in Hong Kong, this will be her first time to the American continent. Charlotte is already thankful for the opportunity to stay in an American family for three weeks and is very motivated to make the most of the great time she has here.
(Placed!) Lorraine, age 13, is easy-going and independent, a musician and singer, and a big Harry Potter fan. She is a very good student and skipped a grade so she is an 8th grader now. She’s already had 8 years of learning the English language so she’s ready to jump into this immersive experience to improve a very good level of fluency. Lorraine proudly supports PSG soccer (Paris Saint-Germain) and her favorite meals are pizza, fish & chips, and Japanese food. She loves travel and has been to 4 continents so far, and will love learning about the United States by living with a family for 3 weeks this July. She will easily get along with a girl her age enjoying playing board games, sailing/boating, art, cooking, shopping, theatre, going to museums, or photography. But, because Lorriane is an avid learner, she would also be thrilled to take part in completely new and different activities that you love! She has prepared a great introductory pdf for her host family and hopes to start corresponding with you soon.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
French Students 2017
(Placed!) Théo is 15 years old and has been studying English for 5 years. His comprehension & speaking skills are good and he decided to come to Tennessee so he could improve even more. He is looking forward to meeting new people and discovering a different way of life. Théo has been to New York, Miami and Los Angeles with his family and loves the United States. His favorite foods are pizza, sushi, and hamburgers. He describes himself as outgoing, active, independent, and good-natured. Théo plays tennis with a club in Strasbourg where he lives, and he also really likes snow-skiing. He enjoys other sports and likes to play basketball and soccer with his friends for fun. Théo has a brother and sister, ages 25 and 23. His brother came here with USMD when he was 15 too. His mother is a real estate agent and his father is a lawyer. Théo hopes to form a lasting friendship with his American host family and to one day show them France.
(Placed!) Faustine will be 17 years old this June. She describes herself as responsible, joyful and energetic. Her favorite foods are ribs, hamburgers and fruit. English is favorite school subject and she has taken it for 5 years. She is nearly fluent, understanding almost everything and speaking it quite well. She also likes her classes in Spanish, history and science. She loves horseback riding, animals, running, and travel. Faustine is very close to her younger sister and older brother. They have a cat called Jazz because her father works in the music industry. Her family makes it a point to support the Arts and travel as often as possible. Faustine is easy going and curious about the world around her and has a great attitude. She writes that she is very motivated to come to Nashville to further improve her fluency in English and also because this city is the heart of music in the U.S. Faustine wants to find out more about the American way of life after spending last summer in Chicago with a host family there. She had such a great experience she can’t wait to return to discover another American city and meet new friends.
(Placed!) Lucie is 17 years old and lives in the beautiful city of Laon, which is in northern France about 85 miles from Paris. She is the youngest of three daughters, all close in age. Her mom is a homemaker and her dad works in the field of engineering. She is very enthusiastic about coming to Nashville to meet new people and discover what our culture is like. Since we live in such a global society, Lucie feels improving her English is very important. She has taken 6 years of English language in school. She was able to practice conversational English during two trips to New York with her family (they experienced Hurricane Sandy!) but she hopes to really improve during her 3 week stay here. Travel is one of her favorite things and she has visited Rome, Valencia, London, Luxembourg, and Brussels. Lucie loves most sports, especially swimming, hiking, gymnastics, basketball, and handball. She can play guitar and enjoys modern music as well as classical. Lucie loves the beach, boating, history, nature, shopping, and watching TV or movies. Lucie describes herself as independent, responsible and easy-going. She can’t wait for this summer and the memories she will have of her time spent with an American family. If you would like to consider hosting Lucie and view her complete profile, just click on the contact email.
(Placed!) Charlotte turns 15 in June. She has taken 4 years of English and also Spanish. Charlotte has a younger brother who is 12 and an older sister who is 16. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a physical therapist. She’s been active French Girl Scouts for over 6 years and appreciates how it has taught her to be resourceful, a good companion and to be able to live outdoors. It sounds like the camp is a highlight of the experiences she has had with Scouting! She also likes swimming, boating and all water sports. Charlotte plays rugby and several other sports and also enjoys riding horses. She has many interests and will enjoy doing anything and everything your family wishes to share with her. In France, she and her friends like to listen to music, go to the cinema and just have a good time laughing. Her friends say she is sociable, enthusiastic and sincere. Charlotte loves children and has interned for three years to gain experience to become a teacher for young children. She is excited for this adventure, and while she has a love of travel and visits family in Hong Kong, this will be her first time to the American continent. Charlotte is already thankful for the opportunity to stay in an American family for three weeks and is very motivated to make the most of the great time she has here.
(Placed!) Clément will be spending his 15th birthday early in July anticipating his upcoming trip to Nashville. He lives near the Eiffel Tower with his parents and two sisters. His mother works in communication and his father manages a company in the broadcast TV business. His family comes from the Mediterranean island Corsica where many of his cousins, grandparents and family still live. They enjoy spending part of every summer there. Clément is learning English and Spanish at school and has had 4 years of language study. He likes water polo and French boxing, and last summer he discovered US football. He very much enjoys all snow sports as well as sailing and the beach. He likes video games, astronomy and sciences, but his favorite hobby is playing the guitar. Clément enjoys all genres of music. He says he is curious about everything to do with the American lifestyle, which he only knows by music, history and movies. He chose to come to Nashville because of its history and musical culture, both things he enjoys in France too. Clément is enthusiastic about sharing 3 weeks as part of an American family vs. being a tourist. He is positive this experience will have a great impact on him, especially as he observed during his school’s discovery training with the Cisco Company that English is the language of the business world. He wants to speak and understand English perfectly. The best way to increase comprehension and speaking ability is through an immersive experience and Clément plans to make the most of this opportunity. A talkative family who enjoys spending time with each other and is willing to add one more to the dinner table will help Clément discover all the things he can’t wait to find out about America.
(Placed!) Clara is 15 years old and lives in northern France with her parents and older brothers. She is happy to come to America because her brothers had such positive experiences and memories of their exchange trips here. They are a tight-knit family and they often go on holidays with their many cousins. She has taken 5 years of English, and also studies German. Clara takes the Art Option in her high school and loves art, drawing, and sewing clothes and bags. She would like to be a dressmaker. She is also a very accomplished cello player which she has played in orchestra for 8 years. Another favorite pursuit is traveling and taking pictures to document her travel. Clara was in the U.S. last summer on a West Coast road trip through California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. She’s also been to the U.K., Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Argentina, Germany and Croatia. Other favorite activities are shopping and going to the movies with her friends. Clara describes herself as a sociable person who is determined and curious about other cultures. In her letter to her host family, she explains that she is coming here on exchange to meet new people, and be part of an American family. She wants to improve her English while discovering another way of life. Clara can’t wait to experience the city and see its architecture, learn about our cultural heritage, fashion trends, sports, food and music!
(Placed!) Daphné lives in Paris with her parents and older sister. Her 17th birthday is the day before she returns to France and she will have great memories to celebrate from her time here. Daphné has taken 6 years of English language, and studies in the European section of her high school which means that courses such as math, history and science are also taught in English. Her future career aspiration is to become a pediatrician as she loves children. Daphné is very active and loves practicing a modern pentathlon on Saturdays which includes fencing, shooting, running, swimming and horseback riding (which tops her list of favorite activities). She also likes skiing, gymnastics, swimming, modern music, playing the piano, movies, and spending time with friends. Daphné especially enjoys travel abroad. Her family has been to New York and they also visited some of our National Parks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Other trips were spent in Japan, Germany, Madrid, Vienna, Rome, Istanbul and Italy. She also participated in linguistic stays in Ireland (2014 and 2015) and London (2016). What Daphné likes most about going abroad is the opportunity to discover new places, appreciate both city environments and beautiful landscapes, and to learn about different cultures. She is very much looking forward to experiencing Nashville and meeting the friendly people who live here.
(Placed!) Constance will be our youngest French student this summer. She is 12 years old and very brave for this adventure. Constance is a good student, and very responsible and mature for her age. She is eager to discover the culture of Nashville. Her father is a top physician in the field of nuclear medicine and Constance lives with her parents in the 7th district of Paris with a view of the Eiffel tower. Constance likes to play soccer and the piano, and she also really enjoys dance, fashion, going to the movies and shopping. She also likes bowling, golf, computers, history and science. Her family traveled to the US before, so Constance already knows that she likes American food and is excited to have an American life experience and make new friends.
(Placed!) Flore is 15 1/2 years old and lives in Paris with her parents, brother and sister. Her brother went on a home-stay last year to Maine and is going back there again this summer. Flore has been waiting for years to realize her dream of coming to the USA too. One of the reasons she chose Nashville is to experience a city built around music which is something she loves, but she’s not very familiar with Country music. She is looking forward to learning more about its history even though she prefers rock and alternative music. She loves going to outdoor music concerts and venues and watching movies. She would be excited to binge watch a good series with you this summer. Cooking is another favorite activity and she especially likes to bake desserts. Flore would enjoy learning how to make some of your family’s favorite dishes. She likes dancing and has been taking jazz for 3 years and is classically trained in dance since a very young age. She took a year of boxing and has also tried windsurfing and wakeboarding. Traveling and sightseeing is high on her list of best adventures; she’s been to Sweden, Belgium, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, and Berlin. This will be the first time she visits the United States since the age of 1 when her parents lived in Houston for a year. Flore would like to improve her English in an immersive experience that will cement 4 years of language study. She indicates that she understands almost everything and speaks it quite well. She is eager to meet new people and welcome her host teen in France during French holidays.
(Placed!) Hélóise is 15 years old and has been studying English for over 5 years, as well as German. She is a good student and prefers literary subjects in school. She lives in Paris and has two sisters aged 12 and 18. She stayed with a host family in Chicago last summer and is returning again with USMD this July to Nashville. She has also traveled to Berlin and Rome on school trips. Since she is familiar with the home-stay experience, Hélóise is ready to hit the ground running on this trip. She seeks to add vocabulary and improve her accent, and of course to have fun with your family! Hélóise writes that she is not very sporty but likes swimming, horseback riding, movies, sightseeing, and going on walks. She also enjoys reading, writing, animals, playing guitar and music. Her favorite foods are red meat, pasta and chocolate. She describes herself as curious, friendly, enthusiastic, meticulous and imaginative. She is traveling with her cousin who will be staying with another family; they are excited knowing they will be sharing their experiences with each other on the return trip to Paris. Hélóise is looking forward to discovering Tennessee and enjoying 3 weeks of summer fun with your family.
(Placed!) Fanny will be 14 yrs old at the end of August. Her brother stayed with a family here last summer and was a very sweet and fun teenager to hang out with. She comes from Chatanay, a town in northern France. She has traveled with her family to England, Belgium, Spain, Singapore, Bali, Thailand, and South Africa. She is very excited to come to America for the first time. Fanny likes hands on activities and especially enjoys cooking, art, tv/movies, shopping, nature, the beach, animals, swimming, and dance. She describes herself as active, fun, responsible, and caring. She has taken 3 years of English language and is eager to try the immersion experience to increase her comprehension and speaking ability. Right now, she lacks confidence in her language ability but with her easy-going personality and motivation, by the end of summer she will have learned so much through spending time with your family. She looks forward to doing the things your family enjoys and experiencing a new culture, as well as seeing the sights and natural beauty of Tennessee.
(Placed!) Faustine will be 17 years old this June. She describes herself as responsible, joyful and energetic. Her favorite foods are ribs, hamburgers and fruit. English is favorite school subject and she has taken it for 5 years. She is nearly fluent, understanding almost everything and speaking it quite well. She also likes her classes in Spanish, history and science. She loves horseback riding, animals, running, and travel. Faustine is very close to her younger sister and older brother. They have a cat called Jazz because her father works in the music industry. Her family makes it a point to support the Arts and travel as often as possible. Faustine is easy going and curious about the world around her and has a great attitude. She writes that she is very motivated to come to Nashville to further improve her fluency in English and also because this city is the heart of music in the U.S. Faustine wants to find out more about the American way of life after spending last summer in Chicago with a host family there. She had such a great experience she can’t wait to return to discover another American city and meet new friends.
(Placed!) Lucie is 17 years old and lives in the beautiful city of Laon, which is in northern France about 85 miles from Paris. She is the youngest of three daughters, all close in age. Her mom is a homemaker and her dad works in the field of engineering. She is very enthusiastic about coming to Nashville to meet new people and discover what our culture is like. Since we live in such a global society, Lucie feels improving her English is very important. She has taken 6 years of English language in school. She was able to practice conversational English during two trips to New York with her family (they experienced Hurricane Sandy!) but she hopes to really improve during her 3 week stay here. Travel is one of her favorite things and she has visited Rome, Valencia, London, Luxembourg, and Brussels. Lucie loves most sports, especially swimming, hiking, gymnastics, basketball, and handball. She can play guitar and enjoys modern music as well as classical. Lucie loves the beach, boating, history, nature, shopping, and watching TV or movies. Lucie describes herself as independent, responsible and easy-going. She can’t wait for this summer and the memories she will have of her time spent with an American family. If you would like to consider hosting Lucie and view her complete profile, just click on the contact email.
(Placed!) Charlotte turns 15 in June. She has taken 4 years of English and also Spanish. Charlotte has a younger brother who is 12 and an older sister who is 16. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a physical therapist. She’s been active French Girl Scouts for over 6 years and appreciates how it has taught her to be resourceful, a good companion and to be able to live outdoors. It sounds like the camp is a highlight of the experiences she has had with Scouting! She also likes swimming, boating and all water sports. Charlotte plays rugby and several other sports and also enjoys riding horses. She has many interests and will enjoy doing anything and everything your family wishes to share with her. In France, she and her friends like to listen to music, go to the cinema and just have a good time laughing. Her friends say she is sociable, enthusiastic and sincere. Charlotte loves children and has interned for three years to gain experience to become a teacher for young children. She is excited for this adventure, and while she has a love of travel and visits family in Hong Kong, this will be her first time to the American continent. Charlotte is already thankful for the opportunity to stay in an American family for three weeks and is very motivated to make the most of the great time she has here.
(Placed!) Clément will be spending his 15th birthday early in July anticipating his upcoming trip to Nashville. He lives near the Eiffel Tower with his parents and two sisters. His mother works in communication and his father manages a company in the broadcast TV business. His family comes from the Mediterranean island Corsica where many of his cousins, grandparents and family still live. They enjoy spending part of every summer there. Clément is learning English and Spanish at school and has had 4 years of language study. He likes water polo and French boxing, and last summer he discovered US football. He very much enjoys all snow sports as well as sailing and the beach. He likes video games, astronomy and sciences, but his favorite hobby is playing the guitar. Clément enjoys all genres of music. He says he is curious about everything to do with the American lifestyle, which he only knows by music, history and movies. He chose to come to Nashville because of its history and musical culture, both things he enjoys in France too. Clément is enthusiastic about sharing 3 weeks as part of an American family vs. being a tourist. He is positive this experience will have a great impact on him, especially as he observed during his school’s discovery training with the Cisco Company that English is the language of the business world. He wants to speak and understand English perfectly. The best way to increase comprehension and speaking ability is through an immersive experience and Clément plans to make the most of this opportunity. A talkative family who enjoys spending time with each other and is willing to add one more to the dinner table will help Clément discover all the things he can’t wait to find out about America.
(Placed!) Clara is 15 years old and lives in northern France with her parents and older brothers. She is happy to come to America because her brothers had such positive experiences and memories of their exchange trips here. They are a tight-knit family and they often go on holidays with their many cousins. She has taken 5 years of English, and also studies German. Clara takes the Art Option in her high school and loves art, drawing, and sewing clothes and bags. She would like to be a dressmaker. She is also a very accomplished cello player which she has played in orchestra for 8 years. Another favorite pursuit is traveling and taking pictures to document her travel. Clara was in the U.S. last summer on a West Coast road trip through California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. She’s also been to the U.K., Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Argentina, Germany and Croatia. Other favorite activities are shopping and going to the movies with her friends. Clara describes herself as a sociable person who is determined and curious about other cultures. In her letter to her host family, she explains that she is coming here on exchange to meet new people, and be part of an American family. She wants to improve her English while discovering another way of life. Clara can’t wait to experience the city and see its architecture, learn about our cultural heritage, fashion trends, sports, food and music!
(Placed!) Daphné lives in Paris with her parents and older sister. Her 17th birthday is the day before she returns to France and she will have great memories to celebrate from her time here. Daphné has taken 6 years of English language, and studies in the European section of her high school which means that courses such as math, history and science are also taught in English. Her future career aspiration is to become a pediatrician as she loves children. Daphné is very active and loves practicing a modern pentathlon on Saturdays which includes fencing, shooting, running, swimming and horseback riding (which tops her list of favorite activities). She also likes skiing, gymnastics, swimming, modern music, playing the piano, movies, and spending time with friends. Daphné especially enjoys travel abroad. Her family has been to New York and they also visited some of our National Parks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Other trips were spent in Japan, Germany, Madrid, Vienna, Rome, Istanbul and Italy. She also participated in linguistic stays in Ireland (2014 and 2015) and London (2016). What Daphné likes most about going abroad is the opportunity to discover new places, appreciate both city environments and beautiful landscapes, and to learn about different cultures. She is very much looking forward to experiencing Nashville and meeting the friendly people who live here.
(Placed!) Constance will be our youngest French student this summer. She is 12 years old and very brave for this adventure. Constance is a good student, and very responsible and mature for her age. She is eager to discover the culture of Nashville. Her father is a top physician in the field of nuclear medicine and Constance lives with her parents in the 7th district of Paris with a view of the Eiffel tower. Constance likes to play soccer and the piano, and she also really enjoys dance, fashion, going to the movies and shopping. She also likes bowling, golf, computers, history and science. Her family traveled to the US before, so Constance already knows that she likes American food and is excited to have an American life experience and make new friends.
(Placed!) Flore is 15 1/2 years old and lives in Paris with her parents, brother and sister. Her brother went on a home-stay last year to Maine and is going back there again this summer. Flore has been waiting for years to realize her dream of coming to the USA too. One of the reasons she chose Nashville is to experience a city built around music which is something she loves, but she’s not very familiar with Country music. She is looking forward to learning more about its history even though she prefers rock and alternative music. She loves going to outdoor music concerts and venues and watching movies. She would be excited to binge watch a good series with you this summer. Cooking is another favorite activity and she especially likes to bake desserts. Flore would enjoy learning how to make some of your family’s favorite dishes. She likes dancing and has been taking jazz for 3 years and is classically trained in dance since a very young age. She took a year of boxing and has also tried windsurfing and wakeboarding. Traveling and sightseeing is high on her list of best adventures; she’s been to Sweden, Belgium, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, and Berlin. This will be the first time she visits the United States since the age of 1 when her parents lived in Houston for a year. Flore would like to improve her English in an immersive experience that will cement 4 years of language study. She indicates that she understands almost everything and speaks it quite well. She is eager to meet new people and welcome her host teen in France during French holidays.
(Placed!) Hélóise is 15 years old and has been studying English for over 5 years, as well as German. She is a good student and prefers literary subjects in school. She lives in Paris and has two sisters aged 12 and 18. She stayed with a host family in Chicago last summer and is returning again with USMD this July to Nashville. She has also traveled to Berlin and Rome on school trips. Since she is familiar with the home-stay experience, Hélóise is ready to hit the ground running on this trip. She seeks to add vocabulary and improve her accent, and of course to have fun with your family! Hélóise writes that she is not very sporty but likes swimming, horseback riding, movies, sightseeing, and going on walks. She also enjoys reading, writing, animals, playing guitar and music. Her favorite foods are red meat, pasta and chocolate. She describes herself as curious, friendly, enthusiastic, meticulous and imaginative. She is traveling with her cousin who will be staying with another family; they are excited knowing they will be sharing their experiences with each other on the return trip to Paris. Hélóise is looking forward to discovering Tennessee and enjoying 3 weeks of summer fun with your family.
(Placed!) Fanny will be 14 yrs old at the end of August. Her brother stayed with a family here last summer and was a very sweet and fun teenager to hang out with. She comes from Chatanay, a town in northern France. She has traveled with her family to England, Belgium, Spain, Singapore, Bali, Thailand, and South Africa. She is very excited to come to America for the first time. Fanny likes hands on activities and especially enjoys cooking, art, tv/movies, shopping, nature, the beach, animals, swimming, and dance. She describes herself as active, fun, responsible, and caring. She has taken 3 years of English language and is eager to try the immersion experience to increase her comprehension and speaking ability. Right now, she lacks confidence in her language ability but with her easy-going personality and motivation, by the end of summer she will have learned so much through spending time with your family. She looks forward to doing the things your family enjoys and experiencing a new culture, as well as seeing the sights and natural beauty of Tennessee.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Hosting = Great Memories!
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| Our French student Romaine with our 4 kids enjoying a day at the tracks this was one of her favorite activities because it's not something she'd do in France. |
The roster continues to grow and we're entering the final stretch of lining up host families for the 10 French teens who will be here July 9 - July 29th. This blog has all the information in one place for you to see what hosting is like, get ideas of fun things to do (such as going to see horse races!) and most importantly, there is a section which tells you about the French teens still waiting to hear about who will be their American family for 3 weeks! Check the menu on the right to learn all about it!
This program is a very memorable experience. The best summers we recall have been the ones where we hosted - you do fun things, take in a few sights and are just a little more intentional about family time which now includes a French son or daughter! And in return, one of our kids spent the summer in France and got to see & do things that wouldn't have been possible without USMD.
Please do share this blog so we can help get the word out to our future hosts - they're in for a GREAT summer!
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Host Family - Kellie
Our family highly recommends the USMD exchange program! It was a great experience for our family to get out of our comfort zone, share our home, and share our summer with someone from another country. Sharing our customs and traditions was just as much of a learning experience for us as it was for our new friend, Sophie. We have lifetime memories because of this adventure.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Host Family - Amy
We had the wonderful privilege of hosting a French girl named Alizé for one month during the summer a
few years ago. It
was a wonderful experience! Alizé fit right into our family as if we had
known each other for ages and we still stay in touch with her today. Her primary goal for visiting
America was to experience American life firsthand and to improve her English
skills. We planned some fun local adventures and also took a road trip to
Memphis, which Alizé enjoyed, but she was also content to
just be a part of our regular life activities. It was her first time to go
to a baseball game, to go fishing and to make s’mores over a backyard fire. We highly recommend the USMD
exchange program!
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