Educational and cross-cultural exchange programs have been an effective way for both the host and international student to learn about each other’s families and respective countries for decades. And in Leelanau County, it’s been a great opportunity for area-families like Andrew Pleva and his husband, Dustin, to experience what hosting international youth is like and the bonds made through those exchanges.
Pleva grew up in the Maple City area, moving to Leelanau County when he was eightyears- old. A Glen Lake Area Community School alumnus, he now works as a controller at Shoreline Fruit.
Pleva said he first came across an advertisement in the Enterprise for the international student exchange program in 2022. The program, which was through the American Scandinavian Student Exchange (ASSE), was searching for host families, something Pleva and his partner were interested in as they were recently married and looking to have kids of their own in the future as well.
