FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KAZAKHSTAN NATIVE FIRST INTERNATIONAL HOSTING PROGRAM
STUDENT TO GRADUATE FROM MCCC

Host Families for Needed for Winter, Fall semesters

MONROE, Mich. ­- ­Dmitriy Zelinski, a 22-year-old from Kazakhstan, will be the first international student to graduate from Monroe County Community College through the Youth for Understanding program.

Zelinski will graduate from the college in December with an associate of applied science degree in business management.  He first came to the college in January 2006.

The Youth for Understanding community college program provides students from around the globe with the opportunity to pursue college-level academic studies while living with a carefully selected host family in a community reflecting American values. 

It is one of the world’s oldest, largest and most respected international student exchange programs.  Since 1951, YFU has exchanged approximately 200,000 students around the world.

MCCC NEEDS HOST FAMILIES

MCCC’s YFU program is in need of host families for international students for the Winter and Fall 2008 semesters.  Winter Semester begins January 11.

Families participating in the YFU program may choose to host as an arrival family for 2-4 weeks or as a permanent placement family for 4-9 months.  Host families receive a $25 per week stipend to assist with the cost of hosting.  

In addition, host families with teenagers automatically become eligible for a host-family discount to travel abroad with the YFU program.  

“Taking in an international exchange student is an amazing experience for the whole family,” said Stacy Jenkins, MCCC’s YFU coordinator.  “Many host families have said that the student really becomes a part of their family, and often, the exchange students stay in contact with their host family years after completing the program.”

For information on the YFU program at MCCC or to learn about becoming a host family, contact Jenkins at (734) 384-4258 or sjenkins@monroeccc.edu or go to www.monroeccc.edu/yfu.