The Union Leader (Manchester NH)
August 28, 2007 Tuesday
STATE EDITION
Armenian student eager to learn the American way
KATHLEEN D. BAILEY Special to the Union Leader
CANDIA — Arpine Sahakyan, an exchange student from Armenia, wants to
make the most of her year in the United States.
"I want to go to New York City," the dark-eyed teen said. "I want to
play volleyball. My host father plays, and I want him to teach me. I
want to learn everything!"
Arpine, or Arpi, will spend this school year as a Central High School
junior in the home of Rita and Ken Goekjian of Candia. The Goekjians,
veteran host parents, held a neighborhood barbecue Saturday night to
welcome to America Arpi and several of her fellow students.
Candia neighbors and host families from other communities mingled in
the dining room, eating snacks and sharing stories, as others waited
for hamburgers on the deck. Arpi, who has been in Candia two weeks,
has already seen a lot of America and American culture
"We’ve been to see the ocean, to the lake and to an amusement park,"
she said with a smile. "I also played miniature golf." She arrived in
time for the Candia Old Home Day, which she described as "great."
Most of the "exchanged" teens clustered around the Goekjians’ dining
room table, swapping stories and trying out each other’s languages.
One young man, Anton from Russia, chattered in his native language
with two girls.
"Anton finally found someone he could speak Russian with," a foster
mother joked.
"These girls are too young for him," Goekjian said, to which Anton
protested, "I am 19!"
Sue Dawson of Chelmsford, Mass., stayed close to her student, Nati,
from Venezuela. This is Dawson’s first year as an exchange parent.
"We fell in love with Nati when we met her online," Dawson said. "My
daughter said, ‘This is it; she’s going to be my sister!’ "
B.J. Haglind, a friend of the Goekjians, said: "I’ve known Rita and
Ken for five years. I’ve met a lot of their students, and I think
it’s a great idea. I love listening to Anton and the girls babble on
in Russian. It’s good for people to get experience from other
countries."
Dolores Siik of Goffstown, the program coordinator, was on hand to
see the results of her work. Siik administers three programs, "PAX,"
Program of Academic Exchange, "CIEE," Council for International
Educational Exchange, and CCI, a summer homestay program. The
children at the barbecue were a mixture of the different programs,
she said.
Siik has placed 49 children this year: 47 in New Hampshire and two in
Chelmsford, Mass. While her programs have varying lengths and
requirements, the hoped-for result is the same: understanding of
different cultures. The exchange students coming to the United States
are required to have three years of English study, although the
program will fudge on that if English study isn’t readily available
in the home system. But U.S. children sometimes have to pick up their
host language on the hoof, she added.
"Suppose you have a student going to the Netherlands. Where in this
country can you learn Dutch?"
Her love of the programs propelled her into administration, Siik
said.
"I was a host parent, and the coordinator moved. I didn’t want to see
it end," she said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
