Host family Elizabeth and Mike Patterson say the Youth Ambassadors program brings hope
Elizabeth and Mike Patterson began hosting students from the Youth Ambassadors program in the fall of 2023. To date, they have hosted 11 students, two or three each semester, from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and the Caribbean.
World Learning has been implementing Youth Ambassadors, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, since 2011. The three-week exchange program aims to instill a strong sense of civic responsibility and community development in youth from the U.S. and Latin America. The Pattersons first heard of the program from the University of Virginia Center for Politics, one of World Learning’s implementing partners that helps find host families.
We spoke to Elizabeth Patterson about what inspired her and Mike to become hosts, how they see students change throughout the program, and how the program has affected them. Here’s what she had to say.
What made you decide to become a Youth Ambassadors host?
Mike’s family had previously hosted a student from Korea for three months, and I had participated in an exchange program in France and hosted two students when I was in high school. I also spent fifteen months traveling throughout the South Pacific after my second year at university. I believe nothing opens one’s eyes to the possibility of hosting like international travel. It helps you develop a healthy skepticism toward your own culture while deepening your sense of connection with humankind as a whole.
Our family situation also likely prepared us well for hosting. This is our second marriage for us both, and we have seven children between us. After weathering the merger of four teenagers into a family unit, we don’t scare easily. In fact, having an “empty nest” after such a full house may have primed us to become host parents! The students who are selected to participate in the Youth Ambassadors program have all been top-notch — intelligent, engaged, and demonstrating exceptional character.
The students leave with broader perspectives about the world, and an emboldened sense of their own competence in applying leadership & communication skills to tackle issues of importance to them.
Do you see changes in the students from the start of the program to the end? If yes, how so?
The biggest transformation we see in our Ambassadors is probably one of confidence. Again, these youth are all top-notch students, but being removed from everything they know can be intimidating. I have appreciated watching them grow in their ability to trust us — and ultimately themselves — as they navigate unfamiliar landscapes. Over the course of their stay, they become more willing to share their ideas, speak their minds, and learn from each other. The students leave with broader perspectives about the world, and an emboldened sense of their own competence in applying leadership and communication skills to tackle issues of importance to them.
How has hosting students made an impact on you? Would you encourage other families to be hosts?
Yes! It is easy to descend into cynicism and mistrust about international relations. However, opening our hearts and our homes to Youth Ambassadors has proved deeply rewarding. It renews our sense of hope about the future and allows us to “be the change we wish to see in the world.”
The Youth Ambassadors Program brings together high school students and adult mentors from across the Western Hemisphere to promote mutual understanding, increase leadership skills, and prepare youth to make a difference in their communities. Youth Ambassadors is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government. It is administered by World Learning in partnership with Amigos de las Américas and Georgetown University CIED and other local supporting partners.
