Exchange students are set to arrive this summer from Turkey, Bulgaria and Germany to stay with several local families.

Katie and Terry Philibeck of Howell will welcome two international exchange students into their home in August: Miroslav, a 17-year-old from Bulgaria, and Justin, a 16-year-old from Germany. Both will attend Howell High School. Miroslav is a Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) scholar. Established in 2003, the scholarship is awarded to exemplary high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the U.S. Also arriving next month under the same scholarship is Ozlin, a 16-year-old from Turkey who will attend Brighton High school. He will be staying with Alison and Trevor Kilgore of Brighton.

The Kilgores and Philibecks were matched with their students through Youth For Understanding USA, which places hundreds of international exchange students with host families across the U.S. and enrolls them in a local area school. Miroslav and Justin will be the 13th and 14th exchange students welcomed into the Philibeck’s home since they began hosting in 2005 opening their hearts and home through the years to students from Japan, Thailand, South Korea and Germany.

Katie Philibeck says they’re looking forward to forming close bonds with Miro and Justin because for them, that's what hosting is all about - welcoming students to become members of their family – adding they hope these relationships last a lifetime. (JM/JK)