After arriving on a Sunday afternoon in November , the 11 students from Singapore were welcomed to Staples and had the experience of a lifetime.
This may not have been possible if it weren’t for the lovely hosts, who embraced the students into their homes. They enhanced the experience so much by really showing the Singaporeans the American culture.
James Lewis ’16 hosted Lam Zihan, and tried to make his stay in America as good as possible, “I really tried to show Lam the real culture of the Westport and the United States. We [went] all around Westport and had a great time,” said Lewis.
Not only was this a fantastic experience for Singaporeans, but it was also a beneficial encounter for their American hosts.
“It was interesting to learn about their culture and how different their daily lives and school systems are,” said Colton Tanner ’16, who hosted Singapore native Jaron.
For the most part, during their stay, they shadowed each of their hosts.
Daniel Brill ’16 took it upon himself to make Wan Jie, who he hosted, as comfortable as possible in these situations.
For all involved, this was a memorable experience.
“It was really fun hosting Jaron and meeting all of his friends. I would definitely host another student even if their first language wasn’t English because it is always nice to meet people from around the world,” Tanner said.
