Now a junior at Sahuarita High School, Eegje is on the junior varsity basketball team and attends chorus class. This talented young lady loves to sing and has a beautiful, powerful voice. In October, she was one of two students selected from SHS to perform in the All High School Honor Choir at the University of Arizona. In addition, she sang 'Oh, Holy Night' a capella at her host family's church during the Christmas season and received rave reviews.

Eegje's long-term goals are to be a pre-school teacher. She would also like to focus on her singing with more advanced training.

Although she misses her mother, father and 15-year-old brother in Deurne, 'Having Skype and Facebook is just great,' Eegje says. 'I meet with my mother and father every week on Skype, and I can even visit with my aunt and cousins that way as well.'

The Academic Year in the U.S.A. organization is the entity through which Eegje became an exchange student to the United States. AYUSA is a non-profit cultural exchange and study-abroad program for high school students interested in becoming foreign exchange students.

'I wanted to experience the American culture and learn English better,' Eegje said. 'I had to sign up for the AYUSA program, fill out a packet full of questions, take a test, write a letter to the AYUSA committee, write a letter to my host family, and do an interview in English. The whole process took about six months.'

Now that she has been in the U.S. for several months, Eegje's English is fluent and idiomatic, even though she began studying the language only around five years ago. In addition, she says, 'I'm learning the difference between America and my own country.'

Eegje's host family has helped her immeasurably in attaining her goals as an exchange student by integrating her fully into their daily activities and including her in gatherings with family and friends. In fact, over the Christmas holiday, Eegje traveled to California to visit relatives of her host family.

'They welcomed me and made me feel like part of the family,' Eegje said.

During that trip, Eegje saw the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Los Angeles, Disneyland, Las Vegas and more.

'I really liked Las Vegas and all the lights and how all the casinos and hotels have different venues from around the world. Everywhere I went had its own special things to enjoy.'

Eegje says she will have mixed feelings when she departs.

'I will be really excited to see my family and friends at home again, but I will also be really sad, because I have become so close to my host family, and I've made many friends here. It's not going to be easy.'