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Be the host with the most: host a Swede

Isabel Johnson, Staff Writer
Published: November 18, 2009

A group of Swedish students from Borås, Sweden, will be taking classes at SRJC for a few weeks in the spring semester. All of them are in their third year of the entrepreneurial study program at their school, Sven Ericsson Gymnasiet.

“Hosting a student is a wonderful experience,” said Lisa Beach, host family coordinator and SRJC computer studies instructor. “You get to see your world through their eyes as you take them to see some of your favorite places, and you learn about their culture as you engage them in conversation about their family, school and country.”

To host a student, a family must be able to provide a private room for the student, three meals a day and arrange transportation to and from SRJC Monday through Friday.

Hosting an exchange student can be a rewarding experience, often resulting in friendships that last for years.

“Most of the host families stay in contact with the Swedish student for years after they leave,” said Peg Saragina, another JC faculty member coordinating the program. “They email and Skype and some host families have even gone to Sweden to stay at the home of the Swedish student.”

While staying with their hosts, students are treated like members of the family. They are often taken on day trips to different places in the area.

“The host families like to show them around Sonoma, Marin and San Francisco counties and our many historical sites,” Saragina said.

“This is a great program that has been providing a wonderful cultural interchange experience for both students and families for  nine years,” Beach said.

Families interested in hosting exchange students should contact Beach at lbeach@santarosa.edu.

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