[ back ]
Foreign-exchange program unlocks treasures
(by Sue Hoffman - June 16, 2010)
Foreign-exchange program unlocks treasures
By SUE HOFFMAN
Hannes Salomon, 17, will take back lifelong memories of his year in the United States when he returns to Berlin in early July. The all-around student, who contributed to the stage and sports scenes at Chagrin Falls High School, also enriched the lives of the local people who hosted him.
"He's like our other son," Pamela Hultin said about Hannes, who moved in with her and her husband, P. James Kamer, in Chagrin Falls, on March 9. "He's delightful."
As an exchange student through Rotary International, Hannes stayed with three families during his year abroad. In addition to his current host parents, they included Schad and Gretchen Eidam, of Chagrin Falls, and Eric and Joan Ealy, of South Russell.
"Rotary typically look for a host family with a student of the same gender and approximately the same age at home," said Mr. Kamer, who serves on the exchange student committee of the Chagrin Valley Rotary Club. While their son and daughters are grown and no longer live at home, he said an opportunity arose for them to be a host family. "I said, 'Let's do it.'"
"We were lucky enough that he was able to come stay with us," Ms. Hultin said.
Ms. Hultin and Mr. Kamer said they have had prior experience with the benefits of the exchange programs and foreign study.
"When I was growing up, my family had a wonderful AFS exchange student from Iceland," Ms. Hultin said.
The couple also hosted a Rotary exchange student from Finland in 1994 during her last four months at Chagrin Falls High School. In addition, their daughter, Kara, studied at the London School of Economics after receiving a Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship. When she recently was married, friends she made at LSE from all over the world came to her wedding.
"The students in the exchange program are usually quite exceptional," Mr. Kamer said.
"Hannes is over the top," Ms. Hultin said. "He did things that every all-American boy should do." He ironically played a German doctor in the Chagrin Falls fall play, "The Mouse that Roared" -- his accent was perfect -- and also performed in the chorus for the spring musical, "Music Man," she said.
"It was much fun," Hannes said. "I couldn't do that in my school in Berlin." Like many exchange students, Hannes said the extracurricular activities at his school at home were much more limited. Hannes also went out for lacrosse and played on the junior varsity team.
"He's been to two proms," his host parents said.
"I give him a lot of credit," Ms. Hultin said about Hannes' eagerness to make friends and be involved in school activities. "He has taken advantage of his time here in the village to inundate himself in local culture and to make many new friends. He loves living right in town, where he's able to walk or ride his bike wherever he needs to go if we, or a friend of his, can't drive him."
Hannes made lists of the places and events he wanted to experience in his last months in Chagrin Falls and posted them all over his room. As he experienced them, he marked them off.
Chagrin Falls is a "cute town," said Hannes, who loved the Blossom Time festival over Memorial Day weekend.
Ms. Hultin and Mr. Kamer took Hannes to Cleveland Cavaliers and Indians games, Cleveland Orchestra concerts and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Hannes also went wakeboarding, trout fishing and sailing.
Ms. Hultin said they wanted Hannes to enjoy all the sports and culture the Cleveland area offers. "We've had fun taking him," he said.
At school, Hannes studied English, Spanish, photography, choir, trigonometry and U.S. history. "I really enjoyed them," Hannes said about his subjects.
When Hannes returns to Germany, which requires a total of 13 years of schooling before college, he will have two more years of school, he said. He probably will attend college in Germany, where higher education is offered free.
Throughout the year, Hannes enjoyed the friendships of other Rotary exchange students, Mr. Kamer said. The group celebrated Hannes' recent 17th birthday at Pine Lake Trout Club in Bainbridge.
As Hannes begins a two-week trip through Rotary to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons, Ms. Hultin and Mr. Kamer reflected on how much they have enjoyed his stay.
While Hannes perfected his English, "our German has improved, too," Ms. Hultin said. Hannes speaks English in their home, but "we've had three months of 'eavesdropping' on his telephone conversations," she quipped.
The couple said they are eager to host another foreign student.
For those who also yearn to have the experience, call Mr. Kamer at (216) 789-3462.
Next: Hosting foreign students opens up their world, according to families in the Kenston School District.
[ back ]
