NOD Voices

The Nacel Open Door Blog is a place to share stories, experiences, photos, information, videos, advice, and just about anything else related to the exchange experience for host families and students.

Chenxi Li with Her Local Rep, Hope Egolf

Congratulations Nacel Open Door Star, Chenxi Li!

Chenxi Li was nominated by her Local Representative, Hope Egolf, who said, “Chenxi works very hard at her studies and consistently does an outstanding job."
Georgia Tews, NOD Local Rep, and January Star Recognition Award Recipient

NOD Local Rep Georgia Tews, Latest Star Recognized

Nacel Open Door (NOD) is excited to give a Star Award one of our amazing Local Representatives, Georgia Tews, of Weyauwega, Wisconsin!

Arthur sitting in an Alpine Slide

Congratulations Nacel Open Door Star, Arthur Wellenstein!

NOD is excited to introduce one of our amazing Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) students and a Nacel Open Door Star, Arthur Wellenstein, of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin!
Ella Wilson, sitting in her Ofice at Nacel Open Door's National Office, her host famly never far from mind.

How One Year Abroad, Turned into a Lifetime of Passion

Besides simply meeting amazing people, the memories I created, and the language skills I developed, my time as an exchange student solidified my love of study abroad, and clearly shaped the direction of my life.
Flags at Fort Snelling National Cemetary in Minnesota

What is Memorial Day Really About

Memorial Day is about a lot more than parades and pool parties. Memorial Day is about honoring all of our service men and women who have given the greatest sacrifice for our country. It is about remembering those who have died in the line of duty. Perhaps since many of us have had to change our plans this year, we can take time to remember what Memorial Day is supposed to be about.
What it looks like working from my home with my daughter who is now learning how to learn form a distance as well...

In this Together; Vol. 2

I heard an interesting statistic this week, currently throughout the world OVER 4 BILLION people are under some type of "Shelter-In-Place" / "Stay-at-home" order! We truly are in this together! It makes me wonder how everyone is doing. How are you keep your mind sharp? If you are working from home, how do you stay on task? If you have kids who are attending school through distance learning platforms, how do you help them prepare for class? How do we all keep from going bonkers while being trapped at home?
Nacel Open Door Director of Marketing and Communication with her daughter, son, and Turkish son

Covid-19: In this Together

With new information regarding COVID-19 coming out daily, it's hard to keep up. As a single mom now working from home with school aged kids who are attending virtual schools, I find myself in the same uncharted waters as you. This unprecedented situation leaves us with lots of questions. My hope is that through this new blog series "Covid-19: In this Together" I can share what I have found to be helpful and encourage you to share your tips and advice. I hope that we will find inspiration and support in our NOD community, as well!
Coronavirus Header

Coronavirus: What You Should Know

As an important part of the Nacel Open Door community, we want to share with you current information regarding the ongoing Coronoavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Our number one priority is the health and safety of our students and families. We realize that we are not experts on this subject, and that there is a lot of misinformation floating around surrounding this pandemic. Hopefully these resources will help clarify this situation.
Valentines themed blog header

How Do They Celebrate?

St. Valentine's Day, just another "Hallmark Holiday" or something more? All around the world different cultures celebrate this day each February 14th. From pink hearts, to public weddings, festivals and chocolates, there are many different traditions. Read on to learn how St. Valentines Day is celebrate all around the world.
Advisor's Angle

Advisor’s Angle Blog Post: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

Our student advisor, Ella, shares her wisdom of communication and how to maintain a healthy relationship between students and host families.
Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Explained

This time of year is always busy with holidays of many kinds. Take a look at the American holiday of Thanksgiving.
Homesickness

Living With Homesickness

Homesickness is a condition that affects the mind and body and can happen at any time and is often recurring.  This post will give you more information about it, and how you can overcome it however it relates to you.