Dear Editor,
We were one of the host families for the Japanese students, and we just wanted to share how wonderful an experience it was to host a student from Aiko Gauken High School.
We hosted a 16-year-old young woman who was a fantastic fit for our family. Over the course of the week, we enjoyed learning about Japanese culture and schooling while sharing as much Canadian culture as we could.
As a high school teacher myself, I was absolutely floored by the courtesy, hard work and intelligence of the visiting students.
I wanted to extend my thanks to Jeannine in Okotoks, Mike Thompson and Zion International Programs for organizing this exchange. I also wanted to mention how disappointed I was when I saw a few people on the local Facebook page saying things like, “Oh, this is a scam!” while the exchange was being organized.
It was a fantastic and meaningful experience for my family, and we would certainly host international students again.
Michael Metcalf
Okotoks
