When Temple freshman Lilybeth LaFevre went over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving this year, she brought along a guest she had just met. Dev Joshi, an Nepalese international exchange student at Temple, had never seen snow or eaten turkey, but got to experience both and much more that day.

LaFevre and Joshi were matched through the Office of International Student and Scholar Services’ (ISSS) Holiday with an American Family program. For several weeks prior to Thanksgiving, the two exchanged emails and instant messages to plan logistics and get to know each other. For more than ten years, ISSS has been matching international students like Joshi with Temple faculty, staff and students like LaFevre who volunteer to host the students at their homes for the Thanksgiving, Passover and Easter holidays.

“For (international students) to experience the U.S. in all of its diversity, it’s important they have the opportunity to see not only the academic side of things but also the personal side,” said Martyn Miller, Temple’s senior director for ISSS. And conversely, says Miller, many hosts describe how rewarding it is to share their uniquely American holiday with a student who has never experienced it before.

LaFevre’s interests in foreign travel and meeting new people led her to propose the idea of hosting an international student to her mom, Kathryn Petrich-LaFevre, Temple’s director of graduate information; her sister Rosella, a Temple sophomore; and her grandmother, who hosts the annual Thanksgiving dinner in her Lehigh Valley home.

“The experience was really eye-opening, and my family loved him,” said LaFevre. “When we dropped him off that night my mom asked what he was doing for Christmas.”

Joshi found the experience rewarding as well. “I wanted to experience the culture of this country and learn it directly by seeing how holidays are celebrated,” said Joshi. “It was awesome. They treated me very well and I was very comfortable with the family from the beginning.”

Ming-Hui Vincent Chu from Taiwan and Hyun Joon Bang from Korea spent Thanksgiving with Temple alumna Loretta Duckworth and her family.

“It was awesome, really good — the people, the food, the atmosphere,” said Chu. “It’s exactly what I imagined — like a family reunion."

The group had much to talk about, and conversation flowed easily in two languages — Duckworth’s son speaks Mandarin and his wife’s family is from Taiwan.

“It was lovely and really added to our holiday,” said Duckworth.

For freshman Ashley Kramer and international student Elizabeth Zhang, the value of the experience has extended beyond Thanksgiving. Zhang spent several days with the Kramers at their home in Dillsburg Pa., about 45 minutes outside of Harrisburg. In addition to conversations, board games, Black Friday shopping and lots of American food, Zhang particularly relished the experience she had making her first pie, which she says in China is typically just bought from a grocery store. Kramer and Zhang have remained in touch and recently met for lunch at Temple.

Christine Frye is another Temple student who invited international students to spend Thanksgiving with her family. She was happy to see that the two guests fit in with her large family.

“I looked over at one point and one student was helping to stir the soup and talking to my aunt, while the other was reading the cookbook,” said Frye.  

The number of international students has remained steady for the past several years; this year more than 1,500 from 115 countries are part of Temple’s diverse student mix. Most students hail from China (330), South Korea (224), India (191), Taiwan (53), Japan (45), France (44), Canada (43), Malaysia (40) and Nigeria (38).

           

Miller reports that about 35 international students were matched with hosts this past Thanksgiving. Typically about 40 students and 20 hosts sign up to participate. He’d like to see more Temple people take part in this rewarding experience.

Don’t worry about how crazy your family is, advised one host. It’s natural to be nervous says another. “Just do what you normally do.”

Faculty, staff and students who are interested in participating the Holiday with an American Family program should contact the ISSS office at 215-204-7708.