For Families of Airline Employees

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what the kids say

After each summer, IYE receives wonderful emails from youth who we have matched.

Dear Camille,

I would like to thank you for the wonderful summer I had this year. Paula and I were perfect matches. I had a great time in Germany with Paula and her family and I believe she had a good time in Vermont as well. I am so glad I found this program, IYE, it truly has changed and shaped me. I have become independent and confident all thanks to you!
I hope your summer was good too, and I can't wait for my next adventure in 2010!

THANKS!!!
Andrea, 15
USA

Hi Mrs. Wheeler,

The exchange with Axel went very well. I had a great time in France. They brought me to a lot of cool places, and treated me very well while I was over there. Axel and I got along pretty well, and it was the least we could do to show him a great time over here after all the stuff they did for me.  It was an amazing experience, one that I am not going to forget for the rest of my life.

Jeremy Smith, age 15
USA

Oscar and Connor have spent many good times together, and his mother is very pleasant. 
We had exchanged many, many mails between our families prior to the exchange. I hope that Oscar and Connor will stay friends for a long time.

Veronique, Oscar's mother
Paris, France

We would be happy to spread that news. Connor had a wonderful time this summer and I hope Oscar did too. All his friends want to go back with him to France next summer! His pictures were amazing and the home in Provence is spectacular. Thank you for helping to provide him with amazing memories that will last a lifetime!

Sincerely,
Patti, parent
USA

I had a great time in Melbourne. I joined Rui's class, met some friends, caught up with French exchange students, and many other activities. Rui will visit me in December in France.

Yannick, age 14
Paris, France

Hi Camille!

Katie just got home yesterday...she had a wonderful time! We can't thank you enough for helping to make this amazing life experience happen for her.  It's a great program.  While she was there I managed to get a Frankfurt layover, and Iris picked me up and I went to their house for a bar-b-que. Tomorrow Lisa arrives here, and part two begins. Iris has a five day layover here, so we're really looking forward to touring them around.
Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Elaine & Brad, Parents
USA

It's me, Michela from Italy! The exchange with Melanie was great, we had so much fun and we got along very well! It was just a great experience for us.

Thanks,

Michela, age 15
Rome, Italy

I would like to express our satisfaction with the Program. Our two children participated in IYE this past summer. Just to inform you that the family from Sarasota, Florida has been very kind and we are very happy to participate in IYE with them. Also I would like to inform you that the family from San Francisco who came to Spain was fantastic!

Thanks for your Program.

Moises, Parent
Madrid, Spain

This summer, I hosted two girls; one from Austin, Texas and one from Barcelona, Spain. Lana from Texas visited me for two weeks. It was my first exchange with IYE and I was really excited. Before Lana arrived we e-mailed a lot and got to know each other, so we already knew lots of things about our exchange student and her family, which was really helpful.

We tried to show her nice parts of Germany (and also the Netherlands- we were there for one day). We visited lots of places, did nice things and she got to know how school in Germany is like.

Three weeks later it was my turn to visit her. I have never been out of Europe before and so I was very excited. America looked completely different than Germany and other European countries I have been to. I really had a great time in Texas and I got to know many new things. We spent one weekend at a beautiful lake, did a lot of shopping; and watched a rodeo.

All in all I could say I spent four great weeks together with a nice girl and I am happy that we still write to each other a lot and that it wasn’t our last visit. 

Last month Alejandra, a Spanish girl visited me. Although she could speak German and I a very little Spanish we talked most time in English - that was much easier! The first week we visited the towns Dusseldorf and Cologne and did a lot of things like water-skiing or just meeting some friends. In the second week of her stay my school had started and so she came to school with me for a few days. We also had a pretty nice time and I am really looking forward to visit her next summer in Barcelona.

Till now I already could collect lots of experience and I am glad I could meet this two very different, but really nice exchange students. I definitely will continue doing this kind of exchange and hope it will be as great as the last ones.

Thank you Camille!

Viktoria, age 16,
Germany

In Washington I had fun playing tennis with David, at the beach and with David’s family.  In your house you were very good with me, the food was very nice; Christina you cook very well. If you come to Madrid you can visit us in our house.

Thank you for everything.

Best regards for the best family I could’ve been with.

DIEGO, age 14
Madrid, Spain

Camille,

I’m writing to share a very small bit of information about a very extraordinary experience.

Just to let you know, Nick was scheduled to leave for Auckland on July 9th. However, it was a bit of a struggle to get a flight because, of all coincidences, the Pope was visiting Australia and most flights heading that direction were full. By this time, we felt completely connected to our host family, who told me to just get him on any flight as soon as possible and we’d figure out the rest later, and that’s exactly what we did. He left Los Angeles the day after July 4th, and yesterday finally came home.  He has two families now – one on the other side of the world – and they miss him almost as much as I did when he was gone. “Mum” Tracy has called me already, telling me how easily he fit into their family, what a great kid he is, and how empty the house seems now.  We have plans (Nick and I) to visit them in January for a week of their summer vacation. I haven’t even met this family, and yet I can’t imagine the tie will ever be broken, especially for Nick. I know leaving them was very hard for him.

I’m sure you hear success stories and get thank you messages fairly often, but surely you’ve never had one that was more heart-felt than this. Nick had four carefree weeks for possibly the first time in his life, and without a doubt, it’s the happiest he’s ever been. You’ve made an extraordinary difference in the life of this child, and who knows how many more that connect (or will connect) with you because they have heard these stories. I know my company director has already begun the discussion with his son about participating next year.

I do want to make sure you keep us in your database so we can host a youngster when the opportunity arises. It would be an honor.

Mostly – I want to thank you for giving Nick the best gift he’s ever gotten.

With appreciation, affection and gratitude,

Connie
USA

Camille,

Everyone is back from their travels and Katie had an exceptional experience in France and excellent luck flying standby on Delta as well.  I know my girls couldn't have had this experience in France any other way and I think Bertille genuinely enjoyed her time in the USA with us. I'd be happy to be a contact person for you if you ever need one.  Thank you,
Debbie, Parent
USA