Cheerleader, Coach, and Confidant: The Role of a Liaison

Welcome back to The AFS Exchange! We are continuing our series highlighting the people who keep the AFS engine running: our dedicated volunteers.

While the host family provides the home and the school provides the education, the liaison provides the bridge. This unique role is the “third party” support system that ensures communication stays clear, expectations are met, and cultural hurdles are cleared for students and families throughout the exchange program. This is actually part of what sets AFS apart from other student exchange organizations- the 24/7 volunteer and staff support and a dedicated volunteer liaison for each student and host family.

In this episode, we’re joined by an experienced AFS-USA volunteer, Kayla Resnick. Kayla has been a liaison for many years and shares what it’s like to be an emotional cheerleader for students, how she navigates late-night logistics, and why the local volunteer network is a liaison’s greatest support system. She explains why this role is vital for student success, and how being the "steady hand" on the sidelines is key to a fulfilling program.

Meet the Guest:

• Kayla Resnick: Arizona Area Team

In this episode, we discuss:

• How liaisons identify and resolve communication issues that may arise.
• The importance of occupying a neutral “third space” to support both students and host families.
• How the AFS Support Advisory Group (SAG) and staff ensure that volunteers are never on an island.
• What it means to be an "emotional cheerleader" and how this role evolves from arrival to departure.

How to get involved:

• Volunteer Nationally: Current volunteers can learn about national leadership roles via Help & Learning for Volunteers or by emailing askafs@afsusa.org.
• Not a volunteer yet? Head to afsusa.org/volunteer to get started.

More from AFS-USA: 🏠Host a Student | ✈️Study Abroad | 🤝Volunteer | 🏫For Educators | 📧Contact the Show | 🎧Collections

Transcript

Kate
Hello and welcome to The AFS Exchange. I'm Kate Mulvihill. On this podcast, we share real stories from the AFS community. We're here to explore how exchange programs change lives, one conversation at a time.

Kate
Imagine you’re an AFS participant from… the Dominican Republic. You’ve been living with your host parents in your new home in Ohio for three weeks. You’re settling in, but you’re feeling a bit… lonely.

With your family back home, you didn’t have to ask to be included for movie night. You’d just be hanging out in a common area, or someone would come grab you from your room, and things would go from there. But here? It’s quiet. You’re in your bedroom, and you hear a movie playing in the living room. You wait for an invitation. You wait for your host parents to knock on your door and say, 'Hey, come watch this with us!'

But the invitation never comes.

On the other side of the wall, your host parents are thinking, 'I don’t want to bother them; they must need their alone time.' They think they’re being respectful. But you? You think they’re being distant. You start to feel rejected, and they start to feel like you aren't interested in being part of the family.

This isn't a crisis. No one is in trouble. But it’s the exact kind of friction that leads to homesickness and frustration. This is exactly where a Student-Family Liaison comes in. They aren't there to scold the family or coddle the student. Instead, they bridge the gap when there are communication breakdowns, confusing expectations, or cultural hurdles. They listen to the student, the family, and get everyone on the same page.

A liaison is an indispensable part of an AFS program. Indispensable as in, like, a student can’t even hop on a plane if there’s not a liaison lined up. This is actually part of what sets AFS apart from other student exchange organizations- that we have 24/7 volunteer and staff support and a dedicated liaison for each student and host family.

Continuing our series on volunteers, we are hearing from a liaison today. It’s a role that requires a little bit of intuition, a lot of empathy, and- as our guest Kayla Resnick shares- sometimes a few early morning WhatsApp messages. Today, we’re diving into what it really means to support a student’s journey from the first month to the final send off. We’ll hear a bit about Kayla’s backstory before hopping into the details of what it means to be a Student-Family Liaison with AFS. What this volunteer role is, how do you do it, and why is it so valuable for AFS participants and families.

Kate
We’re going to hear from Kayla, who lives in Arizona. For her day job, she works in local government, specifically in the Water Resources Department. It’s lots of data and visualization dashboards. Which… especially in Arizona… seems like a very important job. But outside of work, she has other very important responsibilities- namely, her involvement with AFS.

Kayla   
My name is Kayla. I was born and raised in south central Alaska, so I'm from Kenai, Alaska, but I'm currently living in Tempe, Arizona. We moved out here back in 2011 so it's been a little while. I'm married, been married for about 12 years, and my husband and I love kind of exploring Arizona. We love hikes, festivals and all sorts of fun things around here.

Kate   
I mean, the first when you said Alaska to Arizona, what is? What is people's go to, like, follow up question when you tell them that?

Kayla   
Oh, they always want to know how I'm handling the heat. And to me, it's just a matter of a different kind of extreme, like in Alaska, when it's really cold, you run from your house to the car to the grocery store to work and then home. And then here in the summer, we do the same thing. So to me, it actually is very similar. And I did have some- time I went to the University of Iowa for undergrad, and so I had sort of a medium for a few years there.

Kate
Okay, wow, Alaska to Arizona…

Kayla   
By way of the Midwest. 

Kate   
By way of the Midwest. So you went somewhere else in 2003-2004. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Kayla   
So my introduction to AFS actually, was my high school Spanish teacher.
I just got this idea that I really wanted to be an exchange student, and I was fortunate to have the support of my parents. So then I was trying to figure out where to go, and at first I was like, Oh, I'll go to Norway, or I'll go to Belgium. I'll ski, you know, that's what I love to do. I grew up skiing and snowboarding and being very snowy. And then I thought, Well, no, like, maybe I will go to a place that is as different as I could possibly imagine. So yeah, I ended up in Minas Gerais or a city called Ouro Branco in Brazil.

So I did a year program 03-04, still, still very close to my host family. We try to see each other at least. And again, this has been over 20 years now, either every year, every other year, either I go down there to see them. I just spent New Year's Eve down there, or various members will come here to visit me.
       
And actually last two years ago, when we were hosting a YES student from Pakistan named Aisha, my Brazilian host sister came to the United States and also got to meet Aisha, which was really, really special. That was like a generational AFS thing for me, like, Oh, my host sister from when I was 16, gets to meet my 16 year old host daughter. So that was very, very neat.

Kate   
That's very cool. And now, you know, now there's that connection there as well, right?

Kayla   
She has Auntie Barbara, which is so cool. Brazilian Aunt Barbara.

Kate
That’s great.

Kate
Well, so you were recommended by Support staff as somebody who I should chat with, who has a lot of experience as being a liaison to hosted students. So, you know, I do not need you to read from the training, read from the manual, but generally, what are the responsibilities of a liaison?

Kayla   
It's like first line support for students and host families, and so that's anything from the logistical support, like, your student needs a ride, or event updates, like, “Oh my gosh, when does the holiday party start?” Or activity waivers, travel waivers, things like that. And then, of course, emotional support, managing family conflicts, home sickness, and then dealing sometimes with even things like moves or medical issues.

So liaisons are required to check in with their students and host families at least monthly. Here in Arizona, we try to do that as much as possible in person, especially in the early months, just because it's really hard to build a relationship, especially with a student who doesn't have English as their native language over the phone, so especially in the early days, and then you're also required to check in with the school three times a year, and kind of be that point person for your students school.

Kate   
Okay, so what does that look like day to day? Are there weeks that go by where you don't hear from a student at all, or are you checking in pretty consistently?

Kayla    
It kind of depends, and it really depends, both on the student and the family. But to me, especially in recent years, it's a lot of responding to WhatsApp messages, you know, out of nowhere, like, “Oh my gosh, please tell me the Grand Canyon trip is not May 2, because that's when I have prom.” And then I'll say, “No, actually, you're really lucky. The Grand Canyon trip is in April, and so I know you're gonna have a wonderful time at prom.” So it's a lot of that. It's a lot of that kind of back and forth. 
And then our students are so busy, so it's often really like, “Okay, if I come get you Monday at 7:45 pm we'll go grab a quick dinner.” So I'm always trying to fit in around extracurricular activities, fit in around sports, because we really encourage our students to be involved as possible in their schools and their community, so it's being that extra support, but, you know, still without kind of intruding on the things that they're trying to do otherwise.
I also think that it's kind of nice when you're a liaison to a student in a family, because you kind of have a built-in role at every AFS event. 
I mentioned AFS is a big holiday party, so when you go to that holiday party, you've got kind of a built-in person to sit with, right? You need to sit there and check in with your host family. You kind of have that tie into the local chapter. I think that's really nice, especially for newer volunteers, when you see them, where they've already got their people and they have to check in with them. So, you know, why not sit there and enjoy some turkey and sides while you're there? 

Kate   
Okay, great. So you know, for a student to whom you were the liaison, you're not the host parent, you're not the biological parent. How would you describe your third party relationship to the student?

Kayla   
It really depends on the needs for me, of the student and the host family. Because I have heard other volunteers talk about it as kind of being like an aunt uncle, like, sometimes we sell it to new volunteers, like, Hey, you can be like an aunt. Doesn't ring like, super true for me. But I think a cross between like extended family member, maybe a guidance counselor or kind of a teacher. So to me, there's that little bit of that kind of professional, I don't want to say distance, but you know what I mean, like professional distance that wouldn't necessarily describe like your favorite auntie, but I try to be a neutral, trusted adult, a confidant, of course, if they need anything, they can always reach out. And definitely a cheerleader. It's one of my favorite roles, like, I will be on the sidelines of the soccer game or cheering for you, you know at your graduation. So yeah, trusted, adult confidant and cheerleader.

Kate   
So sometimes, yeah, literally a cheerleader, or just like, emotionally a cheerleader

Kayla   
Yeah, emotionally a cheerleader whenever they're dealing with something.

Kate   
Are you able to think of a story about an experience or, like, a really impactful moment you've had with one of the students you were a liaison for?

Kayla   
You know, there have really been a lot of them. I've been really lucky. I've always had great students as far as and I think they are responsible for their success, right? So I can't say of anything that I really did, but I did have a student come to me at the end of the year, and just was so kind of appreciative of this sort of non judgmental support that I had given him, because he really felt like over the course of his year, he was able to completely, kind of transform himself. And it was really funny, because he was this, you know, like very cool kid, but about partway through the year, he started wearing a lot of crop tops, which was not his style at all. And it was just feeling like he could be whoever he wanted to be here, and that his host family, that his friends, everyone would just accept him, who he who he is. And so that was kind of special, just to have that like, yes, of course, you can wear it literally, whatever you want, assuming you're not breaking any dress codes. Like you look great, you do you kind of and it was nice to be part of that.

Kate   
I like that. And I mean, without needing any more information, just me musing, perhaps he's coming from a part of the world where it isn't really super acceptable for men to wear crop tops, maybe, maybe not.

Kayla   
Maybe just not a thing, yeah?

Kate   
But he felt like he was able to do it here, and he felt that he had the support of the community, his liaison, you know, made some cool friends at school…

Kayla
Oh 100%.

Kate
Yeah, that's great. I like that a lot. I like that a lot.

Kate
So, we just heard the basic “What” of being a liaison. What do they do. They are the primary contact person for a student, their host family, and the school, for the entire year. They check in with the student and family at minimum once a month, and the school a few times during the year. Liaisons don’t switch on and off month to month- the goal is that a relationship is formed between all parties. Also key? The liaison can’t be a close friend or relative of the host family, and they can’t hold a position of authority over the student, like a teacher or coach. That would lead to a conflict of interest. And lastly, they must be over 21 and live within 120 miles of the student.
Up next, we’ve got the “How.” How does a liaison support the student and family throughout the program? Sometimes, the initial complaint is just the tip of the iceberg. Kayla shares a story about a student on her team where the Liaison had to look past the surface-level conflict to find out what was really going on.

Kayla   
Yeah. So I cannot take full credit for this one. But years ago, we had a French student who was constantly late for school, like just could not get up on time, and he didn't actually have issues with punctuality otherwise, like he was able to get himself to other places. He just would not get up in the morning and go to school, and it was beginning to cause this big conflict in his host family, because they would have to then take him to school, right? And they were going to be late for work, and it just was this, okay, why can't he not get himself to school?
So it was a little bit of detective work and a family meeting, and it turns out that the problem had nothing to do with school. The problem was he didn't want to ride the bus. I think he didn't want to share this, but juniors and seniors don't ride the bus. I mean, this is a very cool kid trying to, you know, make popular friends at school, and yet, he's on the bus basically with the middle schoolers. So he just socially, culturally, could not handle the bus experience. So he had so much anxiety about getting on the bus that he couldn't get up in the morning.
I wouldn't have ever known and so, you know, thinking about what to do. Okay, what are our options here? We crowdsourced a bike, like, literally sent an email out to the volunteers and said, Hey, can we get him a bike? And a bike showed up, and he was not late to school again.
And it was just kind of this example of, you don't really know what the problem is. I mean, it's not so as much as the iceberg, although maybe a little bit, because I know there were some things under the surface there that were hitting but what can feel like laziness or feel like just obstinance, like, No, that was really a socially challenging situation that I never would have thought of. Like riding the bus was not a big deal to me. And of course, I had my driver's license when I was 16, and didn't have to worry about it. He didn't. So as soon as we took away that barrier, that conflict was gone, but it was not a straight line. It. It took a lot of kind of figuring out what could possibly be going on to get him that bike and get him to school.

Kate   
That's very interesting. I mean, I think a lot of people, maybe the first place their mind would have gone would have been you're staying up late, chatting with your friends back home in France, right? Or chatting with new friends here in the States, but like, you're over sleeping because you're tired.

Kayla   
Or you're lazy, or your first class, you think is kind of a blow off because it's like music theory or something, or punctuality is not culturally important to you, because you're used to showing up places whenever you want, like lots of options, right? But no, it was the social stigma of being on that bus which the students love to see. They love to take pictures of the yellow school bus. They don't necessarily want to ride the yellow school bus, which I get.

Kate   
Very interesting. And now he got some experience riding a bike in Arizona, right?

Kayla
That’s right. Good for him!

Kate
Okay, so you did also mention that part of being a liaison is checking in with the school when it comes to student integration at school. What do you look for to signal if the student is having a successful time in the school environment or not?

Kayla   
I just want to know if they've kind of found their people, and that can be really challenging at large public high schools. But if they're plugged into a team, or they've joined a club, or they're on something like student council, I think that's always a good first sign.
And then after that, maybe after, like, post arrival orientation time, you're starting to look for like, are you able to engage with some of these school contacts outside of school? It's always a big milestone for kids, right? Like, you have your school friends, but have you gone to the mall with them, or have you invited them to go out to a movie?
So even if it's just one time, I think that's so huge. It's like, that feeling of like, okay, I got this, like, I have friends, you know, versus just classmates, so again, getting as long as they're on some kind of a team, just because I think that's the place where you're going to meet your people. And then, yeah, that first, like, we've now moved this friendship outside of the classroom is a really, really big milestone.

Kate   
What are some of the most common cultural hurdles you see students encounter?

Kayla   
I think this kind of goes along with that last question, because it really is making friends, not just making acquaintances, but making good friends. And I feel like I'm kind of often explaining to students that just because an American classmate made some kind of comment, like, oh my gosh, we should totally go out for coffee sometime. That doesn't mean that you're going to go out for coffee, right? Americans like to be helpful. We're generally sort of extroverted and warm and welcoming. But that doesn't always translate into this kind of friendship. And you see it a lot like, say with Scandinavian students, you would never in, you know, Norway make kind of a fake plan to meet someone for coffee. You just wouldn't say that kind of thing out loud. So I think when they're first faced with that, it's really surprising to them. They think they have a friend, and it turns out like no, that person was just being polite or just saying something.
So I think getting over that acquaintance hurdle and building true friendships, it takes more time and effort than a lot of students expect, especially if they're coming for places where they've had the same friend group for many years. They know they have to make new friends, but they don't realize that. You know that, but we're just talking about taking those friendships outside of school, for example, and being true friends. It could take months, and I know that can be really surprising.

Kate   
Yeah, especially, you know so many places around the world, students like the school systems are that you're kind of with the same people and all the classes your whole life, and maybe there's a little bit less mobility, whereas here in most schools, you're changing classes eight times a day, right?

Kayla   
An also these are huge schools, 1000s of kids attend these schools. I don't even know how I would get around.

Kate
Okay. So when there is an issue, how do you work with other support, volunteers or staff to navigate the issue?

Kayla   
You know, we're really lucky here in Arizona, and of course, things change every year, but generally, we have this really robust volunteer structure where every liaison is assigned to a support lead or an associate Support Coordinator who has kind of this team of liaisons that they're sort of responsible for. So they're checking in on compliance. They're kind of your first line where if you have questions or Something's just not sitting right, you can bounce something up to one of those support leads, then they, of course, have the support coordinators who are the top of the local support chain, and they're the ones who do most of the interfacing with AFS support staff. And so to me, that means there is just always someone to answer a question. And so if I had a question or something I was confused about, I could reach out to my support lead, and I would know that they would either answer the question, do some research to get back to me, or they would take it up their chain. So that's why it's a really good feeling. I think for every volunteer, you want to feel like you kind of have that group of people around you who are going to help you through any kind of, any kind of challenge.

Also, I think, you know, in my regular day to day life, outside of AFS, it's hard to get people to call you back or pick up the phone. Phone. But that's not true about AFS volunteers, at least in Arizona, like I could get 15 of them on the phone right now, they would just pick up. I mean, which is an incredible thing that just happened anywhere else in my life, maybe at work, but not even, not even as much as AFS. So just knowing that if you need something, you are never you know, kind of left out to dry.

Also, we have maintained kind of a liaison Whatsapp group chat, which is really great, just for those quick questions, if you don't want to bother someone, and you just want to know, you know, when some event is or when the volunteer hours are due, or those kinds of things, you throw that question in group chat, and then the support leads, or an experienced liaison, somebody will will be there with an answer pretty quickly.

Kate   
So speaking of phone calls, how do you handle any late night AFS phone calls without letting it take over your entire life?

Kayla   
So I'm going to be honest with you, and this is kind of new, but everyone in the AFS chapter, including the students that I am the liaison for, they know that I am just not that person. I am not the person for late night calls, because I'm going to bed at nine o'clock every single night, like it really doesn't unless I'm in the middle of, like, a really good book. But that's okay, because Judy and Cindy and April, they're all night owls, like those women stay up all night, and so then when I'm up at 515 in the morning, like it's almost like a changing of the guard or a shift change.
So as long as my student has someone that they can reach, and they have the contact information for that person, you know, it takes a whole village. So I'm just honest about what I can do, and then I don't worry about the late night phone calls.
Now, the 5am phone calls, no matter what your emergency is, I'm there for it, and it doesn't take over my life, because I have gotten my full night's sleep, and I have kind of set my boundaries, and I know I have the support of an entire volunteer village, so it will never be too much.

Kate   
That's very I applaud you for knowing your boundaries and that way, and also that the team, you must work really well together. Either through trial and error or just got lucky right away.

Kayla   
It’s just been years of just knowing kind of who those people are, it's just, it's not really any different than knowing, like, oh, who can I call when I have, like, this kind of problem, right? Like, you just become sort of specialized after a while. And yeah, we have our 2am people who are just up watching TV, and then, you know they're barely going to bed by the time I'm getting up in the morning.

Kate
So, how does one actually do the job of a Liaison? It starts with curiosity. You’re constantly looking for the 'why' behind the 'what.' When a student or a family is struggling, is it a personality clash, or is it rooted in their cultural background? The role is about bridging that gap and getting everyone on the same page while respecting where they each came from.

It’s also about being ready for those late-night or early-morning phone calls. Sometimes those calls are logistical: 'Wait, is there an orientation this weekend?' Other times, the issues are more serious.

But the important thing to remember is that as a liaison, you are never on an island. There is a network of volunteers on your local team, including other liaisons and support coordinators, ready to provide guidance. Depending on the severity of the issue, you also work closely with the AFS-USA Participant Support and Learning staff.

So even if a situation feels brand new to you, it has very likely been seen before- in some other team, in some other year. Nationally, there is the Support Advisory Group, or the SAG. It’s composed of experienced staff and volunteers from across the country. They work to strengthen AFS’s support systems and ensure that nationally, AFS is providing a high-quality, safe, and life-changing experience for every student and family.

Okay, so we’ve covered the 'What.' Now, let’s get into the 'Why.' Why should someone step into this role, and what has it brought to Kayla’s life?

Kate   
Okay, so for somebody listening who is already an involved volunteer with AFS, why should they consider becoming a liaison? What does this role give you that other roles don't?

Kayla   
I think it's that one on one connection to a student and their host family. And really, aside from being a host family, which is also amazing, I think it's the best way to kind of foster that global connection, and be able to make a difference in someone's exchange program. And it's the kind of thing, like, I was the liaison to a student from Morocco a couple of years ago, several years ago now, I guess, and they had a horrible earthquake recently, and so, oh my gosh. Like, how is he? And so you get immediately, get on social media, and you check in with him, and you get this, really, you know, sweet message back that says, Thank you for checking in on me.
But, you know, not every volunteer has that. The marketing volunteers don't necessarily have that kind of one on one connection where they have to be concerned about a tragedy or a traumatic event in other parts of the world. So I think that that's really special. That's the global connection that AFS is all about, and being a liaison is one of the best ways to get that.
It's also, again, an opportunity to be on the sidelines of football games, kind of be involved in your local community in a way that some of us aren't usually like it's not very often that I'm watching a high school soccer game if we're not hosting, so I think that that's kind of special.
You know, there's a liaison here in town who's a friend of mine. And the first year he was a liaison, he was invited to Christmas Eve at his host family's house, which I just think is the sweetest thing. Like, kudos to that host family, and kudos to him for, you know, providing the kind of relationship where they thought, like, Yes, I should invite him over for Christmas Eve, and that student for bringing them together. I just thought that was so special.

Kate   
That is very sweet and a great way to get, as you're saying, more involved in the community in ways that you wouldn't have otherwise, right? He probably would have never crossed paths with that family if it weren't for that AFS student.

Kayla   
And I would have not seen…I have seen so many high school musicals, or like high school plays that I never would have been in the front row of, if not for being a liaison.

Kate   
That's great. So if somebody is nervous about the problem solving or conflict aspect of this role, what would you say to them to kind of reassure them?

Kayla   
There's so much support out there. Plug, of course, for MyAFS Help and Learning, which has tons of articles, guides, documents, everything that you can need. I always like the ones that kind of help you sort of figure out how serious the situation is. Right? Is this mild? Is this moderate, and how should I treat it?

There's documents about dealing with difficult conversations, asking good questions, and these are just good life skills to have. And then again, in Arizona, you can always go to your support lead or support staff if you have specific questions, you can ask more experienced volunteers for advice.

And the other thing I think about being sort of nervous. I understand a lot of people are conflict averse or don't like to have challenging conversations, but I think there's such a sense of, at least for me personally, a sense of kind of pride when you can help someone deal with someone deal with something challenging, like anyone can cheer on the sidelines at a football game, which is still special to me, but to be able to help a family work through something challenging, it's just it's very meaningful. It's very impactful.

I always think that, especially when I was Support Coordinator, I was dealing with moves or really challenging situations like this is one of the, like, least pleasant days of this student's experience, right? Or this host family's experience, and they're going to have a conversation with someone like, why not me? And so the ability to make that conversation, you know, as pleasant as possible, considering the circumstances, I think, is a really special opportunity. Like, again, why not me? Why should I not be the one there, helping them to have that conversation or to grow or to learn something kind of no matter the outcome.

Kate   
And also, I mean, these are skills that you can apply to your workplace, to your family, to your friends, right that these problem solving, conflict resolution. Maybe it looks a little bit different if you're talking to a student from Thailand and their host parents, versus a colleague who keeps microwaving fish in the kitchen and sticking up the whole office, right? But you know you can, you can use these skills in different parts of your life.

Kayla   
But being a person that doesn't shy away from conflict, obviously doesn't go looking for it, but it's like willing to address it and address it thoughtfully, and address it with all of these tools that I mentioned, like learning to ask questions, learning to really actively listen. I think it makes a huge difference. I think it's hugely influential in all sorts of parts of my life that I might not have thought of.

Kate
In addition to problem solving and conflict resolution, Kayla has gained a level of confidence around public speaking thanks to her experiences with AFS.

Kayla    
I think way back to my original exchange, and I see this in a lot of exchange students, there's a certain confidence or maybe or comfortableness with public speaking. I think that comes purely from AFS. I am in my work life, in AFS, in my personal life, always someone that is like, I wouldn't say delighted, but happy to be up on stage. You can hand me a microphone. I will be your MC. I will be your orientation leader. I will guide you through whatever it is we're about to do. Even recently the Community Summits. Like, it gives kind of a last minute like, Hey, can you help us out with this session? Like, sure, I did that in Portuguese when I was 16. Like, of course, I can get up in front of, you know, 35 volunteers and walk them through an icebreaker. So public speaking, general confidence, which I think you could call social skills. And, yeah, that conflict resolution for sure.

Kate   
Let's see. Is there anything else, Kayla, you would like to add about your experience as a liaison, your time in Brazil? Anything else you would like to share with the listeners?

Kayla   
I don't think so. At the very beginning, I was telling you that I was. Because I went to Brazil, but I didn't tell you that everything else that I have done with AFS Arizona, which, yeah, kind of funny, because so many of us wear so many hats. But since then, and I wrote it down, I have been a pre-screened or emergency family…

Kate
… an emergency family, an associate Support Coordinator, a Support Coordinator, travel rep, airport volunteer, host family interviewer, sponsored programs cluster coordinator, orientation coordinator, bio writer, host mom to three hopefully 4 sponsored programs students, and…

Kayla
…and flight chaperone, which is an opportunity that not a lot of people know about, to apply for the flight chaperone awards, but it really is my experience as a liaison and in support that I think makes me so qualified to be flight chaperone. So I went a couple years ago as a flight chaperone to Japan, and this summer, I'm going to Malaysia, and I'm so excited about it. All of the answers on that flight chaperone application apply directly to liaison skills. Like, tell us about a time when you worked through a difficult situation with a student. Like, well, sure, I can do that. It fits really beautifully.

Kate   
Wow, that is significant. Thank you for all of your service. And now you can add podcast guest. It's not an official Global Link affiliation.

Kayla
But we know about it! And newly in volunteer engagement. So my goal really is to get new volunteers kind of into the AFS roles that will fit them or bring them joy. 

You know, we have a wonderful one of my favorite AFS volunteers in the world, who's been a hosting volunteer for many years here in Arizona. And we were just on the phone about something else recently, and then she said to me something like, oh, sorry, I've got to go. I've got to make a hosting flyer. I really hate making a hosting flyer. And it was just like, why are you doing this? Like you should not do anything that doesn't bring you joy, first. And second, making a flyer is like the perfect little package to hand off to a new, techie, young, really, anybody new volunteer. 

So like, please allow me the gift of taking this flyer off of you and giving it to someone that will be excited to do it. So I'm really excited about volunteer engagement. I think it's a big topic. Of course, we're covering it at summits. We covered it at the ECA that I went to recently. So I'm excited to see where that goes. I think that will be a nice kind of new direction while holding on to being a liaison.
Of course, I never want to give that up.

[Music]

Kate
That was Kayla Resnick from the Arizona Area Team. Thank you to Kayla for sharing just a sliver of her AFS experience with me!
So this episode concludes our mini series on volunteers. Throughout the history of the podcast, the majority of our episodes have been about the host family or hosted student experience. Obviously, very important. But we noticed a gap in volunteer stories, so I’m glad we were able to do that this spring.
First, Ashe and Abdullah who attended the Chapter Leadership Summit in Spain.
Then, Alessando spoke about his experience as a young volunteer in Italy.
And our last episode, highlighting Travel volunteers who help get everyone where they need to be. And after today, I hope that you have a better idea of what a Student-Family Liaison does for AFS, and how this role can enrich your life.

As I mentioned, all hosted students need a liaison while in the US! And… there are students arriving this fall! If you are interested in getting involved as a liaison, reach out to your team’s Support Coordinator or contact askafs@afsusa.org to get pointed in the right direction. If you’re not already a volunteer with AFS, head to afsusa.org/volunteer to get started.

Kate
Thank you for listening to The AFS Exchange! I’m Kate Mulvihill. Let us know what you thought of this episode by sending a message to podcast@afsusa.org. You can also rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe there as well so you don’t miss any episodes in this 6th season.

This podcast was created by Kate Mulvihill. Social media by Julie Ball and Nina Gaulin. Special thanks to Amanda Brown, Jordan Lucas, and Michelle Bird.