OVID, Mich. — It's a familiar melody for 16-year-old Lorenz Laczkovics as he sits in front of a piano playing one of his favorite songs, but the setting? Far from home.
Lorenz is from Vienna, Austria a city of palaces and concert halls, a world away from Ovid Michigan.
Lorenz is part of the E.F. High School Exchange program, a global initiative connecting students with new cultures and experiences.
"I heard about this program from my family and from my sister, because my sister did this program two years before I did it, and she had a really good time, and she had a really great experience."
For Lorenz the experience has been full of firsts, starting with his host home—a rural Victorian house owned by Patrick Lombardi a man with a heart as big as his home
It's a stark contrast to the bustling streets of Vienna that Lorenz is used to.
"The most different thing is that there's, like, no public transportation here. And yeah, I lived in a big city, and I would go by public transportation to school, and everywhere I go."
For Patrick, hosting exchange students like Lorenz isn't just about opening his home; it's about opening his mind.
"I think probably the most interesting thing that I've learned hosting teenage teenagers is teen culture. It's so different from when we grew up, and it's hard not to put those my experiences onto them and to allow them to be the teenagers that they are in the world that they live in."
And while Patrick's life may not fit the picture-perfect idea of a host family, Barb Bolitho, a coordinator for the exchange program, says that's exactly the point.
"50% of host families are not your traditional Mom Dad and 2.5 children."
For Patrick, hosting exchange students has been transformative.
"The Exchange Student Program has brought me back out of my solitary confinement and introduced me back into the world that exists, to this community, to the school district, and to a whole new group of people that I would have not had a chance to know."
Barb says these exchanges aren't just about visiting a new place; they're about building bridges between cultures, one open door and one open heart at a time.
In a world that often feels divided, sometimes all it takes is a shared roof, a helping hand, and an open heart to remind us that beneath it all, we're more alike than different.
"Patrick is a good neighbor because he teaches me about American history," says Lorenz. He also he teaches me about the American way, and what it's like to live in America, which is valuable lesson. And and, yeah, I think it's just a good experience."
We agree and want to thank Patrick Lombardi and other host families who are this week's Good Neighbors.
If you would like more information on being a host family visit the E.F. High School Exchange Program website at www.efexchangeyear.org
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