Beijing bound

Hernando Christian Academy administrators hope a trip to China will help add more foreign exchange students to their school starting in August.

Upper school Principal Andrea Rinard said Thursday that she would be traveling to China from Saturday, March 13, through Saturday, March 20, to participate in an international student fair as part of a partnership with an international student placement agency.

Rinard said she and other school officials hope the trip will result in multiple students coming to Hernando County to attend school at HCA. Students who travel to attend the school would stay with host families.

Along with providing the Chinese students the opportunity to attend school in the United States for 10 months, Rinard said the experience would also help form a relationship with a country that historically hasn't been tolerant of Christianity. Students who want an opportunity to receive a Christian education would now have one, she said.

"And that's something I'll need to be mindful and respectful of where they're coming from in that way," Rinard said. "But we've had such a positive experience with our foreign exchange students that we're now trying to expand our net a little bit."

Rinard said HCA students already have benefited from going to school with foreign exchange students from Germany, Korea and Thailand.

Families who've taken in those students have also benefited by having a chance to share their culture while also learning about others from their guests.

"And many of these host families have children of their own who really bond with their exchange student and have them almost become one of the family," Rinard said. "It really does give everyone a different perspective of the world."

According to a press release from the school, host families would be expected to volunteer to provide the students with room and board while also integrating them into their family to help them learn about life in America. All students are expected to have studied English before coming to the U.S.

Following Rinard's return, she hopes to have a list of students to enroll in HCA by this August and believes she should have enough area families interested to house them. There are also plans in October to send another representative to Hong Kong in search of more interested students.

Those interested in hosting those students can call Cathy McAllister at the school at 352-796-0616.

"In the end, we see this as a big win-win for everybody," Rinard said.