Tiaa

UUTIAvailable

May 2

About TIAA

Tiaa comes from a small village, and she’s the youngest child in a large family. Her home is quieter now that many of her older siblings have moved away, but Tiaa enjoys doing activities like hiking, fishing, and watching movies together with her family. Tiaa is kind, and caring, and says she “appreciates humor!” In her free time, when she’s not doing homework or helping around the house, you can often find Tiaa reading fiction or listening to music. She also enjoys writing poetry and received second place in a national poetry writing competition! Tiaa is very respectful, and she firmly believes this quality will help her build strong relationships with her host family and new friends.

In their small village, Tiaa and her close friends look out for each other by walking one another to their homes, doing schoolwork together, and laughing often. She is described as someone “respected by her classmates” and helpful to anyone in need. She also has experience adjusting to new environments that she plans to use during her exchange year! Two years ago, Tiaa began attending school outside of her hometown. There were challenges in her move, but she reflects that, while she misses her old friends, “I’ve made quite a lot of friends” in her new school. Tia knows that this experience has helped prepare her to succeed as an exchange student!

Tiaa is proud of being I-Kiribati (native to Kiribati), and she is excited to share her culture with her future host family. Having never traveled overseas before, Tiaa is excited to “see what it’s like outside of Kiribati and learn anything that is beneficial to my home or my country!” She is open-minded about all kinds of new activities with her host family and in extracurriculars, saying “I don’t know what activities are held in the U.S., but I’m eager to try any and find my favorite!” She is also excited to attend an American high school and improve her academics, and she recognizes this experience could open many doors for her in the future.

For Coordinators: Click here to access this student's application materials.