Watford families host exchange students
By Ashleigh Plemper
Farmer Staff Writer
Imagine being a teenager and making the decision to go live with a family you’ve never met in another country for nine months as a foreign exchange student. Seems a little nerve-wracking, doesn’t it?
For a host family opening their home to a person they don’t know, the feeling is mutual. But for Danielle Johnsen and Melanie Smith, two neighbors in Watford City, that was the best part.
Last August, the women welcomed foreign exchange students, Nacho and Matias (“Matty”), into their homes as a way to share new cultural experiences and put a fun flair on their family dynamics.
“We’re empty nesters so we had an extra room. We thought it would be neat to get to know someone from another culture,” says Smith, of becoming a host family to 17-year-old Nacho from Madrid.
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