- Name Joy Collins
- Joy Colllins is one of our most experienced local representatives, celebrating 20 years with EF this year.
Joy Collins, International Exchange Coordinator
I've been involved in student exchange since I can remember - my mother has hosted nearly 20 EF students, I've hosted almost 10. My own kids don't know any other way of life. I became EF's local exchange coordinator in 1984. Today, along with nine other coordinators, I find good homes in Mississippi for about 50 students each year, and I make it a point to get to know every one of them personally.
It's all worth it
Sure it's a lot of work. It can be a time consuming process to find suitable host families and match them with the students' personalities. Once the students arrive, occasional problems come up - like cultural misunderstandings or homesickness. But that's what I'm here for. Each year I have a little more experience, which helps me to better understand and help the students. And we definitely have a lot of fun together. We do things as a group throughout the year like taking trips to Disney World and the Grand Canyon, or having a Christmas potluck where everyone brings their national dishes.
I could never put a monetary value on what I get out of this
First of all, it makes my hometown a much more cosmopolitan place. But I've also traveled to Europe myself, talking to schools about student exchange. Best of all, I'm in touch with just about every student I've ever had. I'm welcomed at the train station, sometimes with flowers, just about anywhere in the world I go.
