As part of the International Students Program at New Lebanon Jr/Sr High School, senior Trang Luu from Hanoi, Vietnam will spend the school year learning about American culture and sharing her native customs with both her host family and her fellow students.
This is the first time Trang has been to the U.S., where she hopes to go to college to study Psychology – a major not offered in Vietnam.
So far there has been no shortage of “American” activities for her to participate in. She has gone camping, boating, and has attended bonfires and barbeques. She hopes to travel to New York City and Washington D.C. as well.
She lives with host parents Darlene and Herbert Jones, a retired couple from Brainard. The Joneses are experienced in hosting international students. In the past they’ve hosted several students from Germany, some of whom they still keep in contact with.
“We were asked to host and we immediately said ‘yes’ because we’ve had such good experiences in the past,” said Darlene Jones. “So far it’s turning out to be a lot of fun with Trang – we have lots of conversations. She is teaching me how to cook Vietnamese food and I’m learning a lot about her culture.”
Trang cooks various dishes including traditional noodles and spring rolls for her host parents. She even cooked for a dinner party when visiting the Jones’ family and friends at Sagandaga Lake.
“They really like me, and they like my food too,” said Trang.
According to Trang, one of the biggest differences she’s had to adjust to is school. Here she takes the bus; in Vietnam she walked to school. School is much less formal here.
“You don’t have to wear uniforms here – I can wear shorts to school!” she said. “School is very different in Vietnam. There we had 30-60 kids per class and we don’t have options in the subjects we take.”
Trang is taking Government, Economics, Living Environment: Biology, Algebra, US History and English 11 and 12. She is participating in Drama Club and is considering playing softball in the spring.
According to Jones, the experience has been beneficial for both Trang and for her and her husband because that they are learning a lot from one another.
“I definitely feel satisfied and I hope to learn a lot out of it,” said Jones. “It is in no way a chore and I highly recommend others consider hosting a student.”
This is the second year of New Lebanon’s International Student Program. The district partners with Educatius International to assist in identifying students who would be appropriate for the program. The students are responsible for paying the district tuition and there is a stipend to host families.
New Lebanon Jr/Sr High School Principal Matthew Klafehn and Kristin Carson, the school’s international coordinator and library assistant, works with Educatius to coordinate the students’ placement and arrival.
For more information about becoming a host parent during the 2015-16 school year, please visit the International Students Program page.