German Ben Takes On Texas
STS Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing memorable cultural exchanges between young ambassadors from around the world and American families. Each year, families across the United States open their homes to welcome foreign exchange students. These volunteer host families help STS Foundation in their mission to foster greater mutual understanding in our world and empower young people to grow through cultural exchange.
Ben Kaesbauer from Germany is one of these young cultural ambassadors who has been living in Haslet with our family since August 2022.
Ben has quickly become a part of our family. His infectious smile and gentle presence make him a pleasure to be around. He has enjoyed learning our American ways and has shared many traditions and foods from Bavaria. We have traveled and got to explore many state parks, the Grand Canyon, and Big Ben. We have amused him with our love for American sports by including him in fantasy football and March Madness. He is enjoying his time at Northwest High School and playing on the varsity tennis team. We have learned he is a skilled pickleball player and an awesome crepe chef. At the end of the school year, we are excited that we will meet the rest of his family when they come to pick him up. Our son has been invited to join them on a family vacation exploring more of America.
We know Ben will forever be in our hearts along with our other two previous students. Starting the 2023/2024 school year, we will be welcoming a student from Denmark. Our hope is to one day to travel and meet all of our student’s families and see their world. We have loved expanding our family!
Participating in cultural exchange opens up a world of unlimited adventures. Things we take for granted come alive when experienced through the eyes of an exchange student. There is great reward in the shared memories and knowing that the lives of students, host families, and community members are forever enriched.
STS Foundation has been bringing together host families and students for over thirty years to help create memories and bonds that last a lifetime. If you are interested in learning more about cultural exchange, please contact Lisa Dunckelman, Local Coordinator/ Host emailing lisadunckelman.stsf@gmail.com or calling 937-620-3420, or visit www.stsfoundation.org.
About STS Foundation
STS Foundation was founded in 1986. Since then, the STS Foundation has placed thousands of foreign high school exchange students from over 40 countries. For over 30 years, STS Foundation has taken great pride in our personal and caring approach to our students, host families, local coordinators, schools, partner organizations, and everyone involved in our program. STS Foundation is a clear leader in the field of international education and cultural exchanges. Our students come from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and many more countries in the world. STS Foundation is a designated U.S. Department of State exchange program, maintains full accreditation with the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET), and is a proud member of the Alliance for International Exchange.