The Semester Effect

Can you really form a strong bond with an exchange student in just a few months? Sarah and Mikayla Engel-Streicher, a couple from Wisconsin, would say yes. They've welcomed three students into their home for a single semester each, proving you don't need a full year to bring the world home. We'll hear how their short-term experience connected them more to their local community and how those relationships with their students from Austria, Germany, and Belgium are still going strong years later. You'll also hear directly from two of their students, who share what that time in Wisconsin meant to them. Their story shows that you can get the full impact of AFS even if you only host for a few months. We are always looking for both semester families and Welcome Families, who bring students in at the very beginning of their program. We hope this story encourages you to get involved! Guests: Sarah Engel-Streicher Mikayla Engel-Streicher Laura Helena More from AFS-USA: 🏠 Host a Student | ✈️ Study Abroad | 🤝 Volunteer | 🏫 For Educators | 📧 Contact the Show | 🎧 Collections

You can listen to The Semester Effect online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Semester Effect is an episode from The AFS Exchange by AFS-USA.

This episode is 27:41 long.

This episode was published on Sep 9, 2025.

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