Why I want to become an EF Summer Ambassador.

This is the second time I am writing a blogpost for an ambassador application. You may be thinking why...? Because I already did an application to be an EF Ambassador, and you might know that I am already an EF Ambassador. I am super honored to be one and I really love it.

Even though I am a "normal" ambassador, I still have to apply to have the chance of being an EF Summer Ambassador since those are two different things. A Summer Ambassador is someone who will help the EF Staff, at Camp or at Welcome Days, to prepare the next class of exchange students for their year, because I went to Camp myself in 2017 (class of '18), I am applying to be a Camp Ambassador. Therefore I am applying to help the EF Class of '19 to get ready for their American adventure.

What inspires me to become an EF Summer Ambassador?

To answer this (hard) question, I am making a blogpost (as you can see ) and a collage with a lot of pictures. These two things will hopefully not only describe what, but also who inspired me to become an EF Summer Ambassador. All the people -with many nationalities- in this collage inspired me to apply for the EF Summer Ambassadorship. I am super thankful to have met them and the great times I have had with them until now.

The majority of these people I met at Camp in the summer of 2017 and they are the reason why Camp was so amazing for me. The other ones I know through EF, and they have made my year amazing. Thank you, Kirsten, Anouk, Justus, Luchas, Marina, Rebecca, Miz, Emily, Penny, Melanie, Maria, Andrea, Eline, Maria, Luisa, Jasic, Jonah, Isabel, Kayla, Peytan, Jayme, Jule & Thijs.

That is why I want to be an EF Summer Ambassador: to show the EF class of '19 that making friends with other exchange students -from many different countries- is amazing. I do have friends at school but to be honest my EF exchange friends are my dearest and closest friends. I would love to meet more and more exchange students, because those are the best people ever.

One of the people who inspired me is Miz. She was a Camp Ambassador when I was a student last summer. She is such an amazing person and I know she helped a lot of students at Camp who were struggling with homesickness. If I would be picked as a Summer Ambassador, I would love to help students who struggle with the fact that they are not going to be home for a long time. It would be amazing if I could be the person who inspired them to be an EF (Summer) Ambassador. Being a Summer Ambassador must be amazing, and I already know that it has a lot of advantages. One of them is that I get to stay with my host family a little longer. It took awhile and we still have a way to go but the Headley's are really turning into my American family and I am super grateful for that. Princeville is really starting to feel like my home, it is weird that I have two different homes on two different continents.

At the end of July 2017 I first got to meet my host family, well it is not the same family as I have now. It was all a little complicated, but eventually I chose to change families. This was a hard decision to make, but I had my IEC to talk to which was really nice. It took a while though before my second family was found. During those 2 weeks in the summer that EF was looking for a family, I lived with an amazing, great family. They are amazing and we had a blast together. Of course I am still in contact with the Corcoran's. It was a bummer that I could not stay with them but it all turned out great. The mom of that family was my IEC, which was really nice because she could clarify everything for me about what was happening and what was going to happen. So after two weeks of living with my 'welcome' family, I went to my new host family. I love it here and I don't want to leave my American family. The point I wanted to make is that I really trust EF, because they have been there for me and it feels like everyone at EF is truly interested in my and everyone else's exchange stories.

As an Ambassador it is super important to support the new class. Well at least that is what I think. For the new students who are maybe not feeling like they are with the right family, it is maybe nice to be able to talk to someone who change families. I just know that I really like that EF told me those stories during the introduction days in the beginning of 2017.

I am really thankful for this whole year. This year has been amazing, and that is something that I will never forget. Like they say "An Excange Year is not a year in a life. It is a life in a year."

Thank you.

- Lieve Camonier