The Next Generation of Allies Is Sitting in American Classrooms
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On the morning of their senior prom, international high school students Justus and Arthur sat down with their host parents, Mark and Laura Wissel, to reflect on their year in the United States – a year that changed them all.
Living in the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Mark and Laura have always believed in the value of cultural exchange. But until recently, they didn’t know that the world could come to them. Through the U.S. Department of State’s BridgeUSA High School program, they opened their home, and their hearts, to two students who would soon become part of their family.
“This was a great experience to really learn about other cultures, to have our own perspectives challenged so we can grow,” Mark said. “Having people live with us from other countries is such a remarkably deep way to see outside of ourselves.”
Their goal was twofold: to share an authentic Midwestern experience and to offer a more complete, human picture of American life; one not shaped by headlines or Hollywood.
“It helps them get a better picture of what America is really like,” said Laura.
Mark agreed: “A lot of benefit comes back to us by having misconceptions corrected, or just an awareness of the good things going on right here that we’re all really proud of.”
Over the course of 10 months, the Wissels brought Arthur and Justus into every part of their lives: cheering at Chiefs and Royals games, introducing them to Kansas City barbecue, sharing their church community, even taking a road trip to Chicago. These everyday moments, paired with their time at Lee’s Summit High School, gave the students a deeper understanding of American culture, and gave their peers a window into the world.
“When you live 10 months in America, you see it differently than when you watch the news,” said Justus. “When I talk with my friends, I can share that [some things] they hear are maybe not true or are different from what they know.”
BridgeUSA participants like Arthur and Justus don’t just learn about America, they contribute to it. Arthur volunteered with the children’s program at the family’s church. Justus helped neighbors by mowing lawns and walking dogs. “They’ve really been a blessing and a benefit to our community,” Laura said.
And that benefit goes both ways.
By building lasting relationships with young leaders from around the world, American families and schools become part of something much larger: a quiet form of diplomacy that makes our country safer, stronger, and more connected. These students return home with a deeper, truer understanding of the United States and a lifelong bond with the people who welcomed them.
“They’ve enlarged our family,” Mark said. “Living life together, both the ups and the downs, has been extremely rich. And the net effect is that now, we have two sons.”
Special thanks to Josie Wissel, a former CIEE intern and niece of Mark and Laura, who helped coordinate this conversation.