Friends abroad

By LEE WARD / THE INDEPENDENT

RACELAND May 08, 2008 10:17 am

— Furthering his education might have been Jackie Phan’s primary goal for his visit to the United States, but he’s also had a lot of fun.
Phan, whose parents are Vietnamese, was born and reared in Germany and has spent his junior year studying at Raceland-Worthington High School, where his host mother, Zenaida Smith, teaches Spanish.
Phan is the third exchange student Smith, her husband Scott and her children have hosted and she said Phan has gotten involved in more extra-curricular activities than a typical exchange student.
He plays guitar and joined the high school band when he arrived, playing bass drum and xylophone. He is a member of the school’s tennis team and at Christmas, he participated in the school play, “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge,” as translator for the Ghost of Christmas Present.
His host family also has taken him on some fishing trips, which he enjoyed, even though he hasn’t caught a fish yet.
“He said, ‘I want to catch something before I go!’ I thought that was so cute.” Smith said.
Because of his involvement in a wide variety of activities, he’s made a lot of friends.
“Jackie has become very popular with the students,” Carla Holt, area coordinator of the Center for Cultural Exchange (CCI), the organization through which Phan is here, said. “He is very kind, respectful, easygoing, yet has a wonderful outgoing personality.”
He also has learned about American football and skateboarding.
Phan, who speaks German, Vietnamese, French and English and is learning Spanish from Smith, arrived in the United States in September 2007 and although it’s been the longest period of time he’s been away from home, he said he hasn’t been homesick. He said his parents have been very supportive of his exchange experience.
“My mom is very education oriented,” he said. “My parents totally supported it. They kind of gave me the idea.”
He said he also had a friend who spent a year in the United States and returned to Germany recommending the experience to everyone.
The idea of the exchange program was familiar to Phan, too, because his school regularly has 30 American students with them for three months of the school year.
The exchange program is very important to Smith. She came to the United States from Panama with a friend for a month-long visit. During that time, she met her future husband and decided to stay.
“I would encourage any family to be a host family,” she said. “No family is perfect, there are always ups and downs, but when the experience is over, you will be left with many good memories. It has been a blessing.”
She and her family have made sure Phan has had a well rounded experience.
While he’s been with the family, they have been to the state capital, as well as Myrtle Beach, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Columbus and to Texas when Smith attended an American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages conference where Phan met Miss Wyoming, whose platform was foreign languages.
Also while in Texas, Phan and the family attended an NBA game between San Antonio and Houston.
Smith said they have plans to take Phan to some amusement parks, camping trips and more fishing expeditions before he returns to Germany in June. He also has plans to attend a two-day rock concert this month.
Phan said he has benefitted in many ways during his stay in the United States: his English has improved and he has learned a lot about American culture: the relationships he has forged.
“The best thing is the students here,” he said. “It’s just amazing to have friends abroad.”
The Center for Cultural Exchange (CCI) is placing foreign exchange students in homes in the Tri-State for the August 2008 school year. To volunteer to house a student or for more information, call Carla Holt, area coordinator for the CCI, at (606) 836-1265 or (606) 547-2843.
LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.

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