Giancarlo Motta and Zach Duncan called themselves “brothers from different mothers” because they had a lot in common in the fall of 2012. Both loved video games and music. Both enjoyed the sport of soccer. And both were new to University High School.
Giancarlo and Santiago, two Guatemalan students who studied at UHS in 2012, pose with their Trailblazer gear.
The difference between the two students, though, is that they lived in different parts of the world.
Zach and Giancarlo, kindred spirits, got to know one another because Zach’s family decided to be a host family for Guatemalan student Giancarlo during his eight-week stay in Indiana. Giancarlo lived with the Duncan family, participated in family activities, and attended school at UHS during those eight weeks in 2012.
“Giancarlo was such a part of our family by the end of his stay that he returned for another visit during the summer of 2013,” said Kirsten Duncan, mother of University students Zach (’15) and Carly (’18) and host mother to Giancarlo. “We continue to stay in touch with him.”
The Duncan family had such a great experience with Giancarlo in 2012 that they opened up their home again in 2015 for Ivonne, a student from El Salvador. By that time, Zach had gone away to college, but Ivonne bonded with Carly, who was a UHS sophomore, over music, social media, and shopping. The two even traveled to Chicago together on a school trip to see “Potted Potter,” a comedy show based on the Harry Potter books.
Like the Duncans, the Gailey family had a positive experience when they hosted Rodrigo, a student from Guatemala, for eight weeks last fall.
During her eight-week stay in the U.S., Ivonne (middle) traveled to Chicago with her host sister, Carly Duncan (front row, second from left).
“I think what we enjoyed most was the connection that our boys (Sam and his little brother Max) made with Rodrigo,” said Jane Gailey, mother of University student Sam (’19) and host mother to Rodrigo. “They got along so well. Rodrigo was a great friend to Sam and played so well with Max. It was fairly remarkable that someone who is essentially a stranger can come into your home and fit so well.”
The Gailey family still keeps in touch with Rodrigo, almost a full year after he came to stay with them. Sam, who is a sophomore at UHS and is taking Spanish, even practices his skills by texting with Rodrigo in Spanish.
As Jane Gailey said, “The experience taught us that kids everywhere have much in common.”
University High School is seeking families who are interested in hosting Guatemalan students for eight-week stays this fall. Learn more about the Experiencias Interculturales program.
If you are interested or would like to learn more about hosting a Guatemalan student, please contact Shannon Swann, director of international programs, at sswann@universityhighschool.org for more information.
If you would like to learn more about year-long host family opportunities, please contact Sommer Craig, University High School’s host family coordinator, at scraig@universityhighschool.org.