Senior Phoebe Dunbar is getting a taste of Finland in the comfort of her own home. For the first time, the Dunbar family has decided to open their home to one of the nine foreign exchange students at Hastings High this year. This exchange student is Alisa Pulkamo.
Pulkamo has been staying with the Dunbar family for about a month and will continue to stay with them until after Thanksgiving. This is the first of three families she will stay with for the duration of her American exchange trip.
“It’s crazy how similar and different we are,” Dunbar said, ”We listen to the same music and wear the same clothes, but we eat different foods and have different school systems that we are used to.”
When placing exchange students with their families, it is important to find a fitting home that will collaborate well with both the family and the student. For instance, Pulkamo is allergic to dogs and cats, which made it hard to find a host family for her. This made the Dunbar family a great fit since half of them are allergic to dogs and cats as well.
“I have learned so much about Finland and her side of the world,” Dunbar said, “Already she has inspired me to go on my own foreign exchange trip. It was always something I’d considered, but she is so encouraging of it, and even helped me find a program to use.”
There were minor adjustments that had to be made in order to make Pulkamo more comfortable, such as turning their office into a spare bedroom for her to stay in. They turned their office into a spare bedroom for her to stay in.
“I have to give up time at school sometimes to help her find a classroom or give her a ride, but I don’t mind at all and I love to help her get adjusted,” Dunbar said, “I’ve grown up with two brothers and a lot of young boy cousins, so it’s nice to have someone my age that I have things in common with.”
Dunbar strongly encourages hosting a foreign exchange student because it can help you learn more about other cultures and make a new friend.
