Build Friendships Worldwide Via PAX

Would you like to have close friends in far away places?

My parents in Montana were just visited by Jen Tu, a Taiwanese college student my parents had befriended 40 years ago. Jen learned to cross country ski in our fields and in our barn he taught me and my siblings how to play ping pong. Last week, in celebration of his retirement, he brought his extended family to Montana to visit Yellowstone National Park.

Just a short while ago I sent off an email to Dalila, telling her how much we miss her. This wonderful French student lived with us last year and attended City College HS. My younger daughter, Michelle, has been iMessaging with Dalila nearly every day since she left a month ago and today Michelle said she wished Dalila could be with us here in Montana. Back in Paris, Dalila has already been visited by friends she made at City and even some of my relatives!

PAX, the Program for Academic Exchange, is looking for families who would love to develop such lasting friendships by hosting a student for this coming academic year (starting in late August of 2014 through the beginning of June of 2015). Their ages range from 15-18 years old. Host families come in all shapes and sizes and include single parents, retirees, ’empty nesters’, young couples with small children, as well as two parent families with teenagers.

Students will attend public high schools—enrollment will be handled by me, the regional PAX Community Coordinator. Host siblings are not required to attend the same school.

I presently know of two vegetarian and one vegan student in the Baltimore area that are anxiously awaiting news of their placement with an American Family and to begin developing a relationship with their host family via the internet. If you or someone you know is interested in opening your home to one (or two) of these students, please contact me. Please See below for some information about these students.

Meredith Safford
410-382-5359
[email protected]

You can find more information about PAX online at www.pax.org

Fun-Loving Vegan
Christina, Female (STE053)
Interests: Volleyball, Basketball, Guitar, Drawing, Painting, Skateboarding
Christina has been described by her best friend as a “creative, happy person that likes to make jokes and laugh a lot.” Although she lives in Germany, she is ethnically Greek and very proud of her background. She loves visiting Greece with her family in the summer and being able to spend time with all of her relatives. She is eager to show Americans how “warm-hearted and kind Greeks are towards strangers.”
Profile: http://forms.pax.org/profilepdf/a256c1f2e3d742e79eae60f38f971ac1.pdf
Essay: http://forms.pax.org/profilepdf/a256c1f2e3d742e79eae60f38f971ac1_essay.pdf

Nahia, Spain, Female (STPE017)
Profile: http://forms.pax.org/profilepdf/0a69116af2054ec992b3e929aa2a9b17.pdf
Essay: http://forms.pax.org/profilepdf/0a69116af2054ec992b3e929aa2a9b17_essay.pdf
Interests: Horseback Riding, Photography, Hiking,
Running Special: Vegetarian
Nahia is a pleasant student who is eager to learn, especially English.

Alisa, Germany, Female (ICX074)
Profile: http://forms.pax.org/profilepdf/5ef4ff86fa4f4f9d8d0c4801755dabe7.pdf
Essay: http://forms.pax.org/profilepdf/5ef4ff86fa4f4f9d8d0c4801755dabe7_essay.pdf
Interests: Horseback Riding, Martial Arts, Gymnastics, Singing, Drawing, Painting
Special: Vegetarian-does not eat meat, fish, gelatin
Alisa is a positive, open-minded teen with high academic ability. She attends a school
where all of her classes are in French, and she also takes Japanese and English.