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Exchange students celebrate cultural unity in Helena

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HELENA — Former and current exchange students and many others gathered in Helena Friday afternoon to celebrate the ‘E.F. High School Exchange Program’.

Foreign exchange students from all over the state gathered for the event, some traveling from as far as North Dakota to take part in the celebration of cultural unity.

Regional Coordinator for the state of Montana, Deborah Miller, spoke the students and parents of E.F along with Helena Mayor Wilmont Collins and his wife, Maddie Collins.

The Collins’ shared their own private and personal experiences with foreign exchange programs and the inspiring and influential impact it had on their lives as refugees from West Africa.

Students from all over the globe shared why their experience in Big Sky Country is so enjoyable.

Luna Van Den Huevel, 17, from the Netherlands and Maja Lindeberg, 18, from Sweden are current E.F exchange students living in Montana.

Van Den Huevel shared with MTN her most favorable activity to do since she arrived to Big Sky Country stating, I think just like, um with the host family just like spending time playing games…school is very fun, too.”

E.F. is a global and non-profit organization with headquarters in Cambridge, MA and has been promoting the importance of multicultural experiences in youth for over 40 years.