During the 1966-1967 School Year, Albornoz was only 16 years old when he came to America as an AFS student at Phoenix High School in Phoenix, Ore. While he was born in Venezuela, he represented his mother’s homeland, Colombia, during the exchange.

 

Albornoz noted that, when he was an exchange student, AFS did not permit letters or phone calls with his birth family. He also spoke about how much things have changed in the world since he first came to the U.S., which at the time of his exchange was at war in Vietnam. 

 

This many year’s later, Albornoz and his wife, Ingrid, recently moved to the area to be closer to their daughter and grandsons, Breiden, a senior at Mars Area High School, and Landon, an eighth-grader at Mars Area Middle School.

 

After the presentation, Albornoz had an opportunity to meet with the current exchange students at Mars Area and other local high schools as well as students interested in participating in a exchange program. AFS is an international exchange program that welcomes high school students from around the world and offers scholarships to eligible students, who are interested in traveling abroad.

 

The program also assists local families, who are interested in learning about other cultures by hosting students from other countries. For more information, attend the chapter’s next meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at Mars Area High School or call (724) 625-1581.