5 Questions with an LC | Bringing Global Connections to Spokane
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Meet Kristen Labrie, a CIEE BridgeUSA local coordinator based in Washington state. She’s also a fifth-grade teacher.
1. How did you get involved as a local coordinator with CIEE BridgeUSA?
Labrie: I have been a local coordinator for just over a year now. I got involved because the local coordinator that we had when we hosted a student decided not to do it anymore, and they needed somebody in the area. And I loved being part of the foreign exchange community so much that I wanted to give it a try!
2. What got you excited about being a CIEE BridgeUSA local coordinator (LC)?
Labrie: I got really excited about becoming an LC for CIEE BridgeUSA because when we hosted our own foreign exchange student, I got to know all of the other foreign exchange students that were at our high school. They all came and hung out at our house, and just getting to know so many students from all over the world was just so interesting.
I wanted to be able to bring students to our little corner of the world and try to get more culture and diversity in our region.
3. And what are some ways that you brought in that diversity?
Labrie: I have 15 students that I place in our area, and they are from all over Europe. So by opening up their homes to these other exchanges, that has expanded a little bit more into our community.
We do monthly get-togethers, and almost all of my families and students come every month. And because of that, now they're experiencing students from other countries too, and they're sharing more and talking more with other people.
4. What is something about your home region that really makes it unique for exchange?
Labrie: Spokane is a large city, but we say that it's a large city that's really a small city. Everybody knows everybody.
It's also just a very unique place because we have all of the culture of a big city. But we are also 30 minutes from the ski mountain, and there are lakes and rivers and all the outdoor activities.
There's the theater, we have sporting events, there's all sorts of concerts – there's just so much stuff going on!
5. What would you say to someone who's considering becoming a host family or LC but isn't sure yet?
Labrie: I would highly recommend that if somebody is wanting to become a host family, they take the opportunity! It wasn't something that we had really talked about as our own family. But when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped on it. And since then, we’ve hosted several students, and it has been a life-changer for our family.
I love the fact that now our own family, with our daughters, are traveling all over the world to go and visit our previous host students. They want to do more travel! So from my own personal experience as a host family, take it. Just go with it, you won't regret it.
For those who are interested in becoming a local coordinator, go for it. I have met many amazing new families in the community and expanded my own personal network of people. It’s allowed me to meet way more foreign exchange students than I would have just hosting my own student – and it has broadened my horizon.
When I went on our CIEE trip in Madrid, I was able to meet some of my students’ families and reconnect with a former exchange student. I absolutely love that, as an LC, I'm meeting students and families in foreign places and building relationships that continue long after the exchange year ends.