“Jim and I have hosted three Japanese students from Yasuda, and find them delightful each year! Mizuki brought her infectious laughter and “helpful in the kitchen” talents. Shizuka brought her fashion fun and socializing skills, and finally, Nanae brought her quiet kindness and love of family and animals. We have been so blessed and honored to share our home and our hearts with these amazing, smart, talented young women. Thank you to all who’ve made this program possible!”– Jim and Diane Lee, GlobalPittsburgh host family
“Thank you for the opportunity to host the Mandela Fellows Stephen and Sithembile for dinner. We so enjoyed being with the Fellows and sharing and learning the news of their projects in Nigeria and South Africa. A number of the invited guests had been to Africa so we were able to engage in conversations about diaspora connections, travel, and African politics, healthcare, and faith. We also had a chance to share information about race and class and politics and education in Pittsburgh, our work and the type of projects we are all involved in around the city. It was a rich, rewarding conversation that we shared over a Southern “soul food” menu of chicken, mac N cheese, and cornbread. It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to doing more work with you.” – Donna Alexander, University of Pittsburgh
“Every day with Mariangel is delightful!! She is bright, engaging, a self-starter, and full of observations and suggestions!! I am beyond pleased for this wonderful opportunity to meet such an amazing young professional! THANKS!” – Sally Powell, Treasure House Fashions
“The Beyond Washington program in Pittsburgh is great! All meetings provide a wonderful picture of the city, the region and its people. Our group is asking many questions and very much enjoying their time here.” – Steven Washington, Cultural Vistas
“During my time at GlobalPittsburgh, I became involved with international exchange programs and learned about the benefits these exchanges can bring to the Pittsburgh region. This experience allowed me to interact with over 10 separate U.S. Department of State programs hosted by GlobalPittsburgh, with emphasis on the placement of homestay experiences for the Mandela Washington Fellows administered by Duquesne University.” – Dillan Gaydos, GlobalPittsburgh 2018 intern
“Our family has been deeply enriched by hosting students. We have been able to form lifelong friendships with several Yasuda students. Our daughter has been taking Japanese for 5 years in high school. Having Japanese speaking students stay with us has helped improve Abby’s language skills and deepened her love of all things Japanese. This past summer, her class went to Japan for two weeks. At the end of that trip, we traveled to Hiroshima where we spent several days with two of the students we hosted. We met their families, stayed in their houses, got personal tours of Hiroshima, went to baseball games, and got to meet some of their teachers at Yasuda. Our trip was made extraordinary because of the connections we have thanks to GlobalPittsburgh.” – Sarah Suiter and Rich Engel, GlobalPittsburgh host family
