MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin exchange student programs are experiencing a major backlog in students and a lack of host families because of the pandemic.
In November 2020, Guiomar Lopez was accepted into the International Student Exchange Program and on track to find a host family for the 2021 school year in Wisconsin.
But when the pandemic hit, all programs were paused.
“I was scared because this year is my last opportunity to make the exchange since I am going to graduate there, and it’s until you are 18,” said Lopez. “So yeah, I was scared to not find a host family.“
Lopez lives in Sallent de Gallego, Spain, and she is in her senior year of high school, meaning the 2022 school year was her last opportunity to find a host family before moving on to higher education.
She’s only one of 450 other exchange students waiting for host families in the state of Wisconsin. The deadline to find those students a home is Aug. 31.
Brittany Dusek, area coordinator for International Student Exchange Programs in Wisconsin, said this year, there are 300 more students on the waitlist than there have been in previous years. Dusek said part of the reason for that is the lack of host families, many of whom have health concerns.
“It has changed a lot of peoples’ outlook on safety and health and those kinds of things and we definitely are respectful of that. Our motto is always families first,” said Dusek.
While the pandemic made many families uncomfortable with hosting an exchange student, for Serafina Scholl and her partner, Michael Tidrick, being a host family had a much deeper meaning.
“People are aware that I am a two-time breast cancer survivor," Scholl said. "I had breast cancer when I was 27 and 39."
Because of that, Scholl cannot have children, but she said she always wanted a child she could call her own.
“I love teenagers. I still wanted to have kids in my home,” said Scholl.
While Scholl and Tidrick said they were more than willing to host an exchange student during the 2021 school year, the school system was not ready to accept exchange students.
“When it came time to register the student for school, we contacted the school and [they] said, ‘I am sorry we are not accepting exchange students because of the pandemic,’” said Tidrick.
But a simple “no” would not cut it for Tidrick. He wrote a letter to the principal of Berlin High School, reassuring them that exchange kids can quarantine just like any other student.
“I explained that this is the student’s only opportunity. You only get one year of your life before you go to college,” said Tidrick.
Tidrick said the letter they sent to the principal received no response, but that wasn’t the end of the battle for the hopeful host family.
“We went to the school board meeting and the school board meeting greased the wheels well enough to get them to change their mind and we ended up hosting Nika,” said Tidrick.
After convincing the school, Scholl and Tidrick could host a student that, without their help, may not have had the opportunity to participate in the exchange program.
“She loved Chick-Fil-A and going to the mall and Walmart. Those were all new and exciting things for her,” Scholl.
To others considering hosting an exchange student, Scholl said, “I would say just do it. It adds so much joy to your life.”
While Scholl and Tidrick were lucky enough to find an exchange student, Lopez was still searching for a host family and time was running out. Determined to make her senior year of high school a memorable one, Lopez reached out to every Wisconsin representative there was.
Through her hard work and determination, Lopez was able to find a family right before the deadline. For Lopez’s senior year, she will attend West High School in West Bend.
“This year, I am going to become an exchange student in Wisconsin and I cannot be more excited about it,” said Lopez. “I am really looking forward to finally meeting my host family and living a new life there.”
The deadline for exchange students to find host families is Aug. 31.
If you or someone you know is interested in hosting an exchange student, you can reach out to Brittany Dusek, area coordinator for the state of Wisconsin at Brittany@asse.com or (763) 516-8204.
You can also fill out a host family application here.