Exchange students return home as classmates distance learn

Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek foreign exchange students’ experiences in the U.S. have been cut short as three return home and one stays with his host family to begin distance learning.
“I feel bad for them,” said Alex Haan, a local coordinator for the exchange program. “They won’t experience prom or a graduation ceremony to the extent we do them here.”
With all school extracurricular activities on hold until May 4 due to the coronavirus, American Field Service-USA, who organizes student exchanges in the U.S., ended all programs March 25 and began returning students to their home countries.
Juan Anabitarte Guzman left March 27 for his home in Galapagar, Spain. His host family is Alex and Karen Miller of rural Hardwick.
“I didn’t want to leave,” Guzman said. “I met a lot of great people that I’m not going to see again.”
A shelter-in-place order was already implemented in Spain with only trips to the grocery store allowed.
“I am going back to a worse situation than Luverne,” Guzman said. “The leaders of all AFS countries decided it was best, and Spain wants all of its citizens home as soon as possible.”
Guzman flew out of a deserted Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls March 27. Alex Miller indicated that Guzman’s flight to Chicago was possibly the only flight out of the airport that day.
Guzman waited in Chicago until other Spanish exchange students arrived to a single chartered flight back home.
Katia Proissl left Luverne March 30 for Germany. Her host family was Nate and Sandy Rud of Luverne.
Haan said Proissl had a 15-hour layover in Chicago before all the students flew back to Germany.
Hills-Beaver Creek exchange student Batuhan Kivrak is already back home in Izmir, Turkey. He left the U.S. March 25.
H-BC secondary principal Molly Schilling indicated “Ali” sharing insights of his culture with staff and students.
“He was a great kid that we learned a lot from,” she said. “
Kivrak stayed with Haan in Luverne along with Ukrainian native Stepen Orietskyy.
Orietskyy continues his exchange experience in the U.S. and Luverne due to his country barring flights in and out of the country for the next 30 days.
Orietskyy began distance learning in the Luverne district from the Haan home.
Orietskyy is a FLEX or Future Leaders Exchange student, and organizers have not made a decision whether to bring exchange students home early.
Early departures are rare exchange occurrences.
“We have not experienced anything like this,” said Haan, who is in his sixth year with the exchange programs.
Once home, the exchange students are self-quarantined for two weeks.
The students can apply for another exchange experience. Each program is taking applications for the 2020-21 school year. Deadline is Aug. 1.
“Hopefully by then this (coronavirus pandemic) is way behind us,” Haan said.