Pictured at their backyard picnic table, clockwise from left front: Bob Hueftle, student Michaela Huber of Regensburg, Germany, daughter Sonya Hueftle and Natalie Shrewsbury. (Photo/Casey A. Cass)

The Boulder Friends of International Students (BFIS) program offers companionship to CU's international students, helping them feel connected to American life.

Currently BFIS has 118 hosts, including families, couples, students and single people. Fifty-five students were matched up in the 2004-05 academic year alone.

"International students do not live with their hosts," said Jenifer Vaughan, international student advisor and BFIS board member. "We match hosts to students with common interests so it's easier for friendships to flourish."

Natalie Shrewsbury and Bob Hueftle have hosted two students each year for 19 years. "To us it's so attractive," said Hueftle. "You get to know a lot about a foreign country even if you don't speak the language. And you see a different point of view—you see America from the outside in."

Shrewsbury added, "We take one student from Europe and one from another part of the world. It's a way to see the world without leaving."

Students appreciate the relationship. Shrewsbury and Hueftle met student Michaela Huber when she came from Regensburg, Germany, in 2002. "The host family provides a secure base," said Huber. "Also, I could ask them about anything—such as water restrictions and the open space concept."

The "lofty goal" of BFIS, according to Janet Garcia, associate director of International Student and Scholar Services, is to create mutual understanding among people, person by person. "Practically speaking," she added, "it really does help international students feel more connected and welcome."

The general duties of a host include helping the student adjust, logistically and emotionally. Students may need assistance opening a bank account, learning the bus system or buying school supplies. Hosts visit with their students every three weeks or so, including them in activities such as picnics, sporting events, holiday celebrations, hiking and sightseeing.

For more information about BFIS, visit www.colorado.edu/oie/isss.