LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- At just 15 years old, Florian Loewe boarded a plane by himself and flew from Vienna, Austria, to Kentucky, part of an exchange program that will land him this week in classes at Spencer County High School.

Florian is excited about making new friends in Taylorsville, trying out for football and studying new subjects like U.S. history.

"I'm excited to get to know different kind of people and getting to play football and other sports," he said Tuesday.

It's all thanks to the EF High School Exchange Year program and Florian's exchange coordinator, Sally Crespo. Crespo found her passion for the program through her own abroad trip. 

"I was an exchange student in Switzerland way back in the 70s," Crespo said. "It changed my whole life!"

Since 2008, she's found host families for students like Florian and Alexandra Leolea, a 14-year-old from Switzerland also in Spencer County.

"I had a lot of luck with my host family," Alexandra said. "They are very patient and they try to comfort me. It's been a lot for my first week, but it's been exciting."

They're not alone. Crespo will make a difference for nearly 20 other teenagers she's supervising this school year. It's the most she's ever had at one time.

"Not everyone wants to welcome a teenager into their home that they don't even know," she said. "But they all arrived to smiles and hugs at the airport."

She hopes the bonds between host families and exchange students last a lifetime.

"From the first time we met on FaceTime, it was like she was meant to be with us," said Jessica Jones, Alexandra's host mother. "When we met at the airport, it was like we'd known each other for a long time."

Crespo said the program is still looking for host families for 25 boys this semester. EF High School Exchange Year will also start placements for the January 2024 exchange students in September.

For information on hosting an exchange student, click here.

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