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Former exchange student heads Lake Tahoe program

Provided to the Tribune

Having studied as an exchange student in France when she was just 16, Daunelle Wulstein has since traveled extensively and been involved with international exchange organizations her whole life.

With her recent appointment as an international exchange coordinator with EF Foundation for Foreign Study, she is excited to be working with the country’s leading international exchange organization to bring dynamic, motivated students from around the world to the region. Because she has seen the positive effects of student exchange in her and her family’s life, she is eager for the program to get under way.

“I’d like area families to have experiences similar to the one my husband Welden had with EF Foundation as an exchange student in Austria,” Wulstein said. Although that experience was nearly 20 years ago, “his host family was in our wedding 11 years ago, and my husband was recently in his host brother’s wedding in Austria. My children consider his other host brother’s children their ‘Austrian cousins.'”



Like so many students who have had the opportunity to travel and study with EF, Wulstein’s husband “made a lifetime connection.” EF Foundation’s tradition of excellence is one that she is proud to help continue in her own community.

“I really enjoy all aspects of foreign exchange. I love to share the joy of it with others. My hope is to further international exchange in Lake Tahoe by finding just the right family to host the just right student. EF Foundation has the resources to help me do so.”



She noted that both she and her mother Linda Blaney have also traveled to Europe with students with EF Educational Tours, so she knows their commitment to intercultural understanding runs deep.

With demand among foreign students up, and a growing recognition of the need for more people-to-people cultural exchange experiences in a global economy, the time is right for South Lake Tahoe to embrace EF Foundation’s mission of “building friendships without frontiers” among young people. The exchange students are not the only people who benefit. Local teenagers gain an appreciation for cultural differences, develop an international perspective, and learn adaptability simply from attending high school with foreign students.

“As far as building our ties with the international community, I believe our impact could be great,” Wulstein said. “Lake Tahoe is already becoming an international resort destination. These international students will discover what we have to offer and how wonderful our local community is.”

EF Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year by continuing its tradition of excellence in facilitating cultural exchange. To become student ambassadors for their home countries, EF students participate in an extensive application and interview process and are selected based on their academic achievement, maturity, and adaptability. Students accepted to the EF Foundation program are fully insured, speak English, and bring their own spending money. To learn more about opening your home to an EF Foundation student contact Daunelle Wulstein at (530) 577-7513, e-mail Foundation@ef.com, or visit http://www.effoundation.org.


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