Locals Jasmine and George Laubender welcomed Lukas, an exchange student from Austria, into their home and family as part of a two-and-a-half week education program this summer.
Lukas, 14, was born in Munich, Germany and has lived in Austria for the past four years. He has been studying English for the last four years as well.
On July 21, Lukas arrived in Los Angeles as a part of the Education First, Educational Homestay Program. The program featured more than 100 students between the ages of 13 and 18 from countries as diverse as Austria, Spain, Italy, Slovakia and China. During their time here, the students attended English language classes at Malibu High School and learned about the American lifestyle.
The Laubender family enjoyed introducing Lukas to California’s unique sights. They visited Universal Studios, Disneyland, Magic Mountain, and Venice Beach; took in a Dodger game and toured San Francisco on a weekend trip. When in Malibu, Lukas got to experience all the perks of an American summer, whether it was surfing and playing at the beach, backyard barbeques, swimming in the pool, going to the movies, playing miniature golf and making s’mores over a campfire.
“The best part, the part that we will miss the most, was just getting to know these really neat kids,” Jasmine Laubender wrote to The Malibu Times. “[To learn] all about their lives, the things they found different here and the things they found the same, the things that they liked and the things they didn’t like so much.”
Laubender said her family was disappointed to see Lukas go, but excited about the experience they had. They look forward to inviting a new student into their home next summer.
More information can be obtained about becoming a host family for the 2012 summer program by contacting Ralph Nicoletti at 805.529.5742.