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Exchange
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“When and if we ever have another,” exchange student, Marie said with fondness for her new son, “I will always compare them to Frank and how easy its been with him. He’s really spoiled us,” she said with pride.
“He has taught more about sharing, not the just getting used to another person, but to learn to share with another person,” she said with honesty. “He’s been here when the girls have not. I’m really going to miss him.”
Finding Frank in a book of possible exchange students, the Davis’s picked a boy for several reasons. “I always wanted a son,” Ms. Davis said with careful thought, adding boys are often applicants for exchange and quite often don’t get chosen. “We asked for a boy and we picked him out of the book.”
“The book” is a catalogue produced by the Youth For Understanding Exchange Program sent out to area representatives three times before placements are made in the early part of each year. Each consists of nearly 250 student profiles with photos.
While profiles are brief, exchange program applications are extensive, addressing several topics from personal hobbies and interests to individual responses to social, political and racial questions.
“We know a lot about each student before we accept them,” Ms. Helmer said, explaining before a child is placed in a home a careful evaluation is made.
In Frank’s case, his willingness to live with any family, his openness in addressing racial issues and his mature attitude helped with the decision to place him in the Davis home.
Longtime Washington residents, the Davis family consists of David Davis, a full-time driver for United Van Lines who often travels; Marie Davis, office manager with the Social Services office in Washington, and three daughters, Chandra, 20, a hairstylist; Kathryn, 22, reservationist with United Airlines and Marie, 24, who works with the Virginia Department of Transportation.
While Frank was prepared to enter a family with a working mother, since his mother works outside the home in Spain, and his siblings at home in his native country prepared him for life with three American sisters, he was also prepared to live with a black family.
“We don’t have any prejudice,” the teen said, adding in his country some “resentment is felt toward the gypsies” but there are no blacks. “I think prejudices are stupid, just stupid,” he said with determination in his voice, adding here in Rappahannock there is little if any prejudice
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