November 2022

BFF Bulletin

The Official Newsletter for Borderless Friends Forever

In This Issue

BFF Students Celebrate Fall

Cultural Exchange At Work

Ebba (Germany) attends Oktoberfest in NC

Thessie (France) joins the Cheer Team

The Happiest Place in the World!

Margaux (France) gets dressed up for Disney World!

Celebrating Firsts!

BFF Students Try Out American Traditions

BFF Student Volunteer Scores

BFF Birthdays

New BFF Team Member

Thanksgiving

Share your stories and join us on social media!

Reminder! Student Survey Responses Due November 30th!

Reminder!

International Education Week

BFF is looking forward to International Education Week (IEW) 2022, November 14-18!

IEW is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. We can't wait to see how you represent your home country.

BFF Students Celebrate Fall

Oliver (FLEX-Hungary), Natalia (FLEX-Poland), Riga (FLEX-Kosovo), Maria (Spain), and Valentyna (Czech Republic) meet up with their community advisor, Kristin, to appreciate the changing colors of the Northeast United States.

Cross County Meet-Up

It's always nice when students placed in different parts of the country get to meet up!

BFF students Stella (Brazil) and Sofia (Spain), who live in Tennessee, met up with Usama (YES-Nigeria) and Martina (Spain) in California!

Amine (YES-Morocco), Martina (Spain), and Daniela (Spain) explore a hobby farm in Kernersville, North Carolina.

Ebba Goes to Oktoberfest

Ebba (Germany) recently attended an Oktoberfest held in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her host mom and host grandpa! Oktoberfest took place in Lafayette Village, a French-inspired shopping plaza, which made for some awesome pictures! Ebba wore her host mom's dirndl, a traditional Bavarian dress, and crossed several items off her bucket list, including riding in an American pickup truck!

Ebba stated: "Oktoberfest has been canceled in Germany for the past two years. Since the pandemic started, this year was the first time my friends and family could attend. I was sad to see all the pictures, but I was excited when my host mom told me that Oktoberfest happens in the US too! She let me borrow her dirndl and my host grandpa, Joe, bought me all the Bavarian pretzels I could eat! It was such a cool experience!"

Team Players!

Thessie (France) tells BFF what being an American cheerleader is all about!

BFF: What sports are you involved with in France?

Thessie: I was doing gymnastics in France, so it made easier to integrate the varsity team.

BFF: How has joining a team helped you make friends and become part of the community?

Thessie: Joining the team, first helped me participating in school event. At the try out I made new friends even if some haven’t been taken. And the team is amazing, everyone like everyone and it’s drama free. So people get along and it help making friend. The team had made a tradition to eat at the French bakery, to help me with homesickness. They are the best!

BFF: Did you find the try-out difficult?

Thessie: The try out were kind of complicated because we had so many different things that you have to be good at. I was taken for my tumbling. And I have learned to be a good back spot.

BFF: What is your favorite part of cheering at football games?

Thessie: I love football matches because you feel everything x1000 because you are near the field and can see everything. It has such a good energy, and you also meet new people, I love it.

BFF: What is your favorite cheer?

Thessie: "GHHS go falcons go!”

Did You Know? Thessie isn't the only BFF student cheering on her high school team!

Maria (Spain) (left) shows off her big cheerleading bow in her homecoming gear!

Valentyna (Czech Republic) gets ready to cheer on her team!

Margaux (France) and the Fishback Family set off for Disney World to join in the Halloween festivities. Cassandra (dressed as Smee) is one of BFF's rockstar Community Advisors and a seasoned host parent.

Left: Margaux poses for a picture with her host sisters, Tinkerbell and Wendy.

Right: Margaux duels with Captain Hook, her host father.

After a long week exploring Disney, the Fishback family relaxed at Discovery Cove. Margaux even threw on a wetsuit and swam with a dolphin!

All Dressed Up

BFF Students Celebrate Homecoming

Celebrating New Experiences!

Carlos (Spain) shows off his soccer skills at a Halloween event in Orlando, FL, and wins a few pumpkins (including one for his CA!)

Lucy (Italy) sees the rocket launch on the way to homecoming.

Ana (France) rides a camel at the Renaissance Festival

Usama (YES-Nigeria) shows off his soccer skills with his host brother.

Charles (France) plays his first American rugby game!

Axelle (France) meets up with a childhood favorite at her high school football game.

Guillermo V. (Spain) helps his host family escape in Fayetteville, NC.

Amine (YES-Morocco) and Martina (Spain) create dough for some Tarte Flambee!

Guillermo V. (Spain) and his host family attend the Zombie Walk, go to the haunted carwash, and have a Halloween party!

Giulia (Italy), Margaux (France), and Elena (Italy) get all dressed up to attend their Spirit Week school dance!

Charles (France) dons a prince costume for his family's Halloween theme: The Little Mermaid!

Volunteer of the Year

November Results

Oliver (FLEX - Hungary) helps paint theater sets.

Student	Country	Hours
Natalia	FLEX - Poland	27.5
Emilio	Mexico	17
Ebba	Germany	12
Kerttu	FLEX - Estonia	11.75
Irina C.	FLEX - Serbia	10
Aiana P.	FLEX - Kyrgyzstan	8
Zoe	Germany	6
Irina V.	FLEX - Montenegro	4

To enter the contest, submit your service log each month to our Compliance and Communications Coordinator at

[email protected]

Exploring the U.S

BFF Students Nicolas (Spain) and Lena (France) are spending their exchange year with the Lewis Family in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Nicolas and Lena recently visited Hogwarts at Universal Studios, Disney World, and the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge.

Zoe (Germany) attended the North Carolina State Fair with the Buckner Family. She had the opportunity to try some truly unique southern foods and create lasting memories with her host siblings.

"Zoe tried fair food, including fried Oreos (which she found amazing), she volunteered with myself and Kaitlyn at the honeybee exhibit and helped sell local honey and honey sticks." - Autumn, Host Mom and CA

"Yesterday, we took the family to the fair. We got there early and tried several exhibits. The kids rode several rides along with the entire family rising way above everything on the Sky gazer.

We were there for over 13.5 hours! She loved it! We ended the fair experience by riding the Fair Flyer to the back of the fair nearer where we parked. It was so much fun, despite how tired we still are!"

- Autumn Buckner, Host Parent and CA

Are you going on an adventure?

Send your photos to [email protected]

and be featured in our next newsletter!