Host Profile of Charlotte & Wedward: A lifelong friendship made
Meet Charlotte and Wedward - FIUTS hosts who volunteer through homestay, hosted dinners, and visiting programs. Charlotte and her family met Wedward, a former UW student, when they hosted him through FIUTS! They have now been friends for seven years, getting together regularly for dinner, skiing, and collaborating in hosting new students.
Our "Host Profiles" recognize and feature the wonderful hosts in our community whose generosity means the world to our students. Here’s Charlotte and Wedward, sharing their story of what hosting means to them!
Charlotte, Wedward, Angel (Wedward’s Partner) and two Latvian students they hosted during our Young Entrepreneurship Program with Latvia during December 2021
How did you become involved with FIUTS?
Charlotte and Wedward Skiing
Wedward: I was Charlotte's 2nd or 3rd homestay international student and I come to Seattle for my MS program in 2014. In 2015 summer, I joined FIUTS as a facilitator to help with the single-day events and multiple-day trips. I also attend 2016 South Asia SUSI program as a student ambassador.
Charlotte: I learned about it through my friend Carolyn since she has been hosting for a while. It’s been so long!
*Charlotte is now actually now on the Board of Trustees as well!
How long have you hosted students through FIUTS?
Wedward: Though it is not like a full home-stay hosting experience, I started hosting before the pandemic, there is a group of Japanese students who come to Seattle. Then it is Uzbekistan students and Lativian students.
Charlotte: About 10 years
How long have you and (Wedward/Charlotte) been hosting together?
Wedward: Since Uzbekistan student this summer. Charlotte is back from a trip that day and I do have time to take the student to visit the city. I thought co-hosting might be a good idea, also because we had 4 students in our group. It turned out to work well, and we did it again.
Charlotte: Since we did the Uzbekistan program together. I am getting older and I realize that some things that I want to do aren’t what young students would particularly like doing too. I’ve always enjoyed hosting and wanted to keep doing it, but since homestay during the summer hasn’t been a thing because of COIVD I wanted to be able to still make time for it during my busy months. Hosting with Wedward makes it easier to still be able to meet different people with sharing the workload.
What made you decide to become a host?
Charlotte and Wedward hiking
Wedward: When I travel to another place, I choose Youth hotel sometimes to know more people. When I am not traveling, I don't mind making my place a place people can talk, share experiences, and exchange ideas.
Charlotte: I traveled a lot when I was in high school and I wanted to help those traveling now and meet new people from around the world. I also thought it was a great opportunity for my kids to meet people from around the world and see new perspectives. Especially when they were younger
What's your favorite activity to do with your host students?
Wedward: By far, I think canoeing/kayaking on Lake Washington is great in the summertime. It is kind of risky though, not all students can manage a canoe in 1 hour or 2.
Charlotte: Anything outdoors! I love taking them hiking. Or having them share their favorite dish/meal from their home country.
What countries have you hosted students from?
Weward: Japan, Uzbekistan, and Latvia
Charlotte: China, Japan, The Netherlands, Sweden, Mexico, Turkey, India, The Philippines, Costa Rica, Uzbekistan, and Latvia
What is your favorite shared memory with (Wedward/Charlotte)?
Wedward and Angel in front of the best parking spot in Stevens Pass taken by Charlotte
Wedward: We did a lot of family events together, like skiing, hiking, corn maze, and logging show. It is hard to pick one. I am happy to become a better skier because of Charlotte.
Charlotte: It’s hard to pick one- so here are two! My first is finding the ULTIMATE BEST parking spot at Stevens Pass when went skiing! It was THE closest one to the slopes and that way we didn’t have to walk far when we wanted to leave! My second would be making dumplings with him and others for Chinese New Year.
What is the best thing you've learned from your hosting experience?
Wedward: The short version is, the world is big and diverse. The media want the audience to learn what they want them to learn. They report conflicts, competitions something looks influential. When you learn from a real person from another place, you understand the world is not that in chaos. For many decisions, one side is not necessarily far better than the other. Then it is easier to accept different opinions
Charlotte and Wedward with homemade dumplings with a student she hosted from Mexico and another student, her Friendship Connection from FIUTS
Charlotte: I think the FIUTS Homestay programs are the perfect length. They are short enough to not disrupt your household rhythm and family life and long enough to get to know people. So if you click- you can become friends. It’s not a big commitment and long enough to know more about the world.
Thank you, Charlotte and Wedward for being a part of FIUTS! We are so grateful for everything you have contributed to the homestay program over many years.
We love our homestay hosts and are proud to have a big and diverse hosting community! FIUTS hosts come from around the world, live all over the Puget Sound region, and range from first-time volunteers to hosts who have been welcoming students to their homes for decades.
If you're a FIUTS host and would like to be profiled in this blog, please email hilary@fiuts.org. Interested in becoming a host? Learn more about our Homestay and Friendship Programs here.