The Full Story

In 2013, at just 15 years old, I left everything familiar in my home country and came to the U.S. as a J-1 exchange student—later an F-1 international student. I landed in a small town in Texas and lived with my first host family. While I will always be grateful for their support, I also found myself struggling with the smallest details of daily life: even figuring out how the shower worked differently, wondering why there wasn’t a hot water tank to “turn on,” or trying to understand the big cultural moments like prom—often with a price tag of hundreds of dollars.

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The hardest moments came during the holidays. I sat alone, watching family celebrations pass by on a small phone screen, tears rolling down my face as I missed milestones with my parents, my sister, and relatives. At home I was cared for, but here I often felt like I wasn’t anyone’s first—or even second—priority.

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Being 15, half a world away, speaking a language that wasn’t natural, and eating food I had never grown up with—it was overwhelming. I wished I had someone to guide me through those first steps, someone to show me the ropes.

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But through that experience, I also gained resilience. Over the past 12 years, I’ve graduated from high school and university, built a family, and become a U.S. citizen. I served as a PDSO (Principal Designated School Official) for an international school in New York, working with students, families, and agents across the globe. With both professional and personal experience, I created Global Student Care USA to be the kind of support system I once wished I had.

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We exist so international students feel at home in the U.S.—sharing meals, building friendships, celebrating holidays, and creating lifelong memories instead of feeling alone. Our programs also give host families space to rest and celebrate with their own loved ones.

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We partner with schools to strengthen their international programs, offer retreats during school breaks, provide cultural mentoring and courses, and even hands-on transition help in Buffalo and Rochester, NY.

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Our mission is simple: to set international students up for success, give parents peace of mind, and help schools provide a smooth and supportive experience for the students they host.