Can a few months be enough to form a lasting bond with an exchange student? For Sarah and Mikayla Engel-Streicher of Wisconsin, the answer is a resounding yes!  

In our latest episode of the AFS Exchange, they discuss their experience welcoming three students into their home for a single semester each, proving you don’t need a full year to make lifelong connections. You’ll hear how their short-term experience connected them more to their local community and how the relationships with their students from Austria, Germany, and Belgium are still going strong years later. You’ll also hear directly from two of their students, who share what that time in Wisconsin meant to them. 

Their story proves that even a few months of hosting can bring the full impact of AFS into someone’s life. We’re always looking for both semester hosts and Welcome Families—those who open their doors at the very start of a student’s journey. We hope this story encourages you to share it with others to get them involved – listen now at afsusa.org/podcast!