From the moment she got the news, Haleigh Mardos counted down the days to the arrival of the exchange student who would be staying with her family during Mardos’ senior year.  That day finally arrived on July 12, when Annefleur Wilmink traveled across the world to meet her new family.

 

Wilmink, who is from Hengelo Overijssel in The Netherlands, had been dreaming about this trip for a very long time.  When she was a little girl, she saw America in a movie and told her parents she wanted to go there one day.  Her parents thought it was just a phase, but the dream stayed alive throughout high school.  She got a job at a grocery store and saved her money to make the trip a reality and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Meanwhile, on this side of the world, Willie and Michelle Mardos were hearing the dream of their own daughter.

 

“We knew we wanted to host someone from The Netherlands,” said Mardos, “but it was hard to find an agency that had the same interests as us.  We finally found Ayusa, who put us in contact with Annefleur.”  The match took a long time because it required home visits and background checks, but in April, the two families finally got to video chat.  After that session, all fears were put to rest and the process began to make the two girls’ dreams a reality. 

 

The girls communicated continuously prior to the visit, anticipating all the things they would do together and getting to know each other.

 

“Her hometown is about the same size as Bridgeport, but more populated,” said Mardos.  “It is also very flat, so the mountains of West Virginia are a big change.” 

 

The weather is quite different here as well.  In The Netherlands, it is mostly rainy and rarely gets above 70 degrees. Despite the differences, Wilmink is not nervous at all.  Here, she is experiencing many more restaurants, more modern houses, and seeing teens drive, which is not allowed in her country.  She is really excited for soccer season to start and to get involved in DECA and tennis at BHS.  She is also curious about how the school works, since she has never been in a school that changes classes.  Wilmink will be a junior at Bridgeport High School this year, although she has already graduated in her own country. Another difference for Wilmink is to be around a big extended family.

 

“She comes from a small family and we have a huge family of cousins, aunts, and uncles.  We are looking forward to gaining a new family member and sharing our part of the world with her,” says Mardos.  “We want to learn her language, experience a new culture, and celebrate international diversity.”

 

So far, Wilmink has really enjoyed traveling around the state.  She loved The Clay Center in Charleston and Laurel Caverns and of course, like any teenage girl, the shopping malls.  While in America, she hopes to visit New York City and share some of her culture with the locals.