Program Joins International Students, Local Families During Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time when most of us look forward to spending time with family. Some of us even travel far to be with the ones we love. But what if your family lived so far away that seeing them is impossible? Where would you go? How would you celebrate?

For many ISS international students, this scenario is very real. But over 25 such students found themselves adopted into new families over Thanksgiving break — thanks to the school's International Friendship Program. Click here to view a NBC13 feature on the program.

Under the direction of Alina Voicu, the International Friendship Program gives international students a home away from home during the school year. The school solicits volunteers from the parents of current students and places each international student with a host family who provides a place for him or her to stay during school holidays. Many families also host the student for family dinners and outings. Thirty families are participating in the program this year.

Many thanks to all the students and parents who are participating in the program:

• Sam Adams - Joy and Ron Adams
• Robert Ascherman - Lee and Lindsay Levine Ascherman
• Richard and Evelyn Baxley - Bill and Marie Baxley
• Elliott Bell - Richard and Cindy Bell
• Henry Bernard - David Bernard and Virginia Caris
• Joshua Cain - Dewayne Wood and Tricia Cain
• Emily Cutler - Jeffrey and Susan Cutler
• Emery Edwards - Michael Hinds and Eden Jones-Hinds
  
• Aurian Eghbalian - Aref Eghbalian and Azita Takeshian
• Shelby Goodwin - Kathy Gibson
• Matias Gutierrez - Hector Gutierrez and Teresa Chacana
• Jeremy Hefter - Steven Hefter
• Carol Hogan - Jerry and Judy Hogan
  
• Clay Kerchof - Braden and Kathryn Kerchof
• Lisa Kim - Sung-Jin Kim and Jung-Mee Kwon
  
• Ari Markovitz - Susan Markovitz
• Keith and Alice Marson - Dan and Beverly Marson
  
• Sarah O'Neal - Robin O'Neal
• Neeralee Pandit - Kuntal and Shivani Pandit
• Elizabeth Perry - Edmund and Ann Perry
  
• Caleb Ponder - Greg and Gina Ponder
• Daniel Ryan - Lynn Bledsoe and Bill Ryan
• William Schaatt - Wade and Leah Schaatt
• Robin Siegel - Richard Siegel and Sharon Isay
• Virginia Smith - David and Virginia Smith 
• Ellie Thomson - Tommy and Kathy Thomson
• Tess Walker - Joni Walker and Jim Walker.

Many thanks to faculty/staff participants:

• Victoria Arrand
• E.T. Brown
• Beth Mulvey and David Noone
• Alina Voicu.

For more information on the program, contact Voicu at avoicu@indiansprings.org or (205) 332-0588.