Visiting Exchange Student Immerses In Livingston Life

Sarah Laible, a 16 year old exchange student from Germany is more than half way through her year as an AFS exchange student and Congress Bundestag scholar at Livingston High School.  When she arrived in NJ, she immersed herself immediately into her American life.  Her Livingston family, the Berger’s (Marc, Barbara, Ali, Mindy and Rachel), welcomed her as a new daughter.  Sarah is a vegetarian and recently made German potato salad for an international dinner.  She loves to go to the gym with her family and relaxes while she takes Pilates and strength training classes.  She was placed on the LHS JV lacrosse team and even though she has never played before, her coach told her “she has a lot of promise” as a player.  Sarah states that she realizes that “practice pays off as she sees herself becoming a stronger player”.  She is proud to have scored a point in her first game! 

When Sarah stopped to reflect about her year, she said “I am surprised and happy that my host family has accepted me so completely and considers me a member of their family”.  She is happy that she realizes they “always support her...even in the hard times”.  As her English improved over the months, she is happy to say that she has learned to “laugh at her mistakes”!  The first days of school were confusing but she quickly adapted and now she “fits right in”.

Being an exchange student this year has made Sarah realize that she values volunteerism and wants to be an AFS volunteer when she returns to Germany at the end of June.  AFS has a liaison program which Sarah feels helped her a lot and she enjoyed the orientations organized by AFS this year.  She said “the AFSers are my second family here this year because everyone is going through the same adjustment process”.  She has met the other exchange students at orientation weekends organized by AFS and also on trips to New York City and sleepovers at their homes.

Barbara Berger, Sarah’s “American mom”, notes that Sarah enjoys taking fashion design and Spanish at LHS since they do not offer classes like that in Germany.  Sarah states that her most enjoyable class is Holocaust and Genocide.  She enjoys learning her own country’s history in an American school.  She has fit right into the family and loads the dishwasher after dinner every night and recently enjoyed making matzo candy with her host sister Rachel.  She says that they all “hope Sarah takes the love of their family and uses it to fashion her own life” when she goes back to Germany.  Sarah has made many good friends at LHS and they have helped her navigate different American traditions like the prom, a uniquely American institution!

AFS Intercultural Programs is a leading exchange organization and welcomes 1,300 international high school students from more than 90 countries to the US each year.  This year, AFS in NJ is hosting 31 exchange students from 18 countries and several have been sponsored by US Government scholarships.  Host families are carefully screened and matched with participants.  Volunteers are always on hand to assure that family and student have the support and tools needed for a positive experience.  Sue Fershing, Area Team Chair for AFS in NJ, states that “being a volunteer for AFS has opened my eyes and allowed me to appreciate the differences that exist between cultures and the similarities that exist among people.  We remind the students to keep in mind the motto “it’s not right or wrong, it’s just different” as a way to adjust to and appreciate their new surroundings”.  Sue adds that “it has been a pleasure to meet Sarah this year and to watch her adjust to the way we do things in America”.

For more information about becoming an AFS exchange student or host family, please visit www.afsusa.org or contact Sue Fershing at sfersh@juno.com.