Warren and Marjune Wiswell found love and a family when they hosted their first international SIUC student from Nepal in 1966.

Madhav Sharma had no parents, and we didn’t have any children, Marjune said. He just fit right in, it felt like he could have been ours.

Sharma had recently lost both his parents, and the Wiswells were unable to have children of their own. They became a family by participating in the Hospitality Program sponsored by SIUC’s International Students and Scholars.

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Because of the great times the Wiswells shared with their first student, they continued to open their home and hearts to other students.

The Wiswells, who received the Mary Wakeland Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service to International Students last year, are one of 100 local host families who provide a home away from home for international students. The Wiswells have opened their doors to more than 30 students in the past 32 years.

We think of them as our kids, Warren said. When we talk to others about them we always call them our kids.’ The Hospitality Program began in the late 1950s. Families generally are assigned one student for two years and are matched together by similar interests. International students get together with their host family two to three times a month.

Sharma later became a citizen and now lives in Pennsylvania. He still keeps in touch with the Wiswells and continues to call them Mom and Dad during their monthly phone calls. His wife is expecting a baby in the next month, so Marjune and Warren are anxiously awaiting an important phone call.

I feel like I’m going to be a grandma, Marjune said.

Presently, Yumi Kakazu, a graduate student in linguistics from Japan, and Sutatip Sanchaichana, a graduate student in business administration from Thailand, are guests of the Wiswells.

The Wiswells were introduced to Kakazu and Sanchaichana in September. Marjune knew that after talking to them for only a couple of moments that she wanted to have them as part of her family.

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Spending time together two or three times a month, the Wiswells provide support and love for the students they host.

I’m far away from home and by having such a nice host family I feel more relaxed, Kakazu said. I feel like they are really my family.

Unlike American students, international students do not have the opportunity to visit or call their families often. Thanksgiving and Christmas can become difficult times to be away from home.

But for Kakazu and Sanchaichana, the Wiswells have made those lonely times easier. Kakazu’s bouts of homesickness are few and far between because of the Wiswells, and Sanchaichana craves sharing good news with her American family.

When I get a good grade, I call them right away, Sanchaichana said. It makes me feel warm.

Opening their home to international students not only fills important needs, but lessens cultural gaps for the Wiswells.

You learn so much about [international students’] culture, Warren said. They tell us about their costumes. When we go to international festivals, they interpret for us what is going on.

This type of hands-on learning that the Wiswells experience is similar to that of their students.

Spending time eating dinner together or playing board games, the students are able to experience American life in a family setting.

They really understand international students, Sanchaichana said. When we get together, I have such a better understanding of the American culture.

The times the Wiswells share with their international students are precious moments.

Saying good-bye to their students after two years of those precious moments is a more difficult.

When they leave, Marjune said, it’s awfully hard to turn them loose and let them go.

The bonds that are formed can and will last a lifetime for both the Wiswells and the international students they host.

I am glad I have a chance to be their family, Sanchaichana said. We didn’t get to choose the family, and everyone says that I’m very lucky person to have this family.

Factoid:Anyone interested in becoming a host family through the Hospitality Program, should contact Beth Mochnick at 453-5774.