Spanish Students Visit Indian Hill: Hosts Needed for 2026

By Mary Casey-Sturk

Robin Hunsucker, the co-founder of Live-N-Learn, had a great experience as an exchange student in high school. She spent time living with a host family, traveling with them and becoming completely immersed. Later, in college, she had the opposite experience.

Hunsucker explains, “That trip (in high school) was just completely transformative. I lived with a host family, and I really lived like a local.” Adding, “In the family, there was a boy and a girl right around my age and they took their friends with us (on outings) and you get to know the family, the grandparents, the aunts and uncles. It was just such a cool experience, so empowering and I learned so much Spanish.”

“I traveled to Spain in college when I did my study abroad, but students wound up being with a group of Americans in a different country, and it was very difficult to integrate, and I tried really hard. I made a couple of friends, but it was nothing like when I got to go in high school.”

“Fast forward, I became a teacher, and I would see my kids come back every summer and they had lived the same experience that I had in college where they’ve gone abroad, but the host families were doing it for the money. They didn’t have any kids their age, they didn’t make any friends. Although they had a great time in London in the summer, there was no real immersion or connections.” 

This is what drove her to co-create her company in 2013. She wanted every student, and every host family, to have a positive and meaningful experience. Since 2018, students have been coming to Indian Hill High School. 

Visiting Students

In 2025, 8 Spanish students stayed with 8 local host families and there was an additional student from France. Overall, 26 schools participated in 2025 hosting over 100 students. Some students came during the summer and others during the school year (and shadowed local students).  

The non-profit arm of Live N Learn makes this happen, with the help of many others, year after year.  Hunsucker shares about schools, “They’re kind enough to collaborate with us and they let us go into their Spanish classes and we tell the students about the opportunity to host so that’s kind of like a big way for us to get the word out.”

Students coming to Indian Hill stay with volunteer host families who provide meals and a home individually and the students have funds for their activities. As a group, they meet up for two activities a week. Students have gone to professional sporting events, kayaking, go-cart riding and more.  Volunteer families apply and are interviewed for a good match. While some are apprehensive due to already tight schedules with their own kids, they soon realize there are many advantages for both parties. 

Visiting students are high-achievers and are recommended for this program, ones that cannot afford the expenses receive scholarships.  This past year, students came from Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Language is not a barrier as they begin to learn English at an early age.

Hosts Share Experiences

Jen and Peter Mallow of Indian Hill, and their daughter Kristin (who is a Junior at Indian Hill  High School), recently hosted Paula. They shared, “Paula, our exchange student, fit in right away! She had a wonderful adventure with us and we loved experiencing the Canarian food and traditions she showed us. Hosting through Live N Learn gave us a month of memories and smiles we will never forget. Even from thousands of miles away she still feels like family.” 

The Heller Family shared, “We really enjoyed hosting an international student through Live N Learn. They did a good job matching our student with our son and family. It was fun to show him all around Cincinnati and to get to know him and learn about his home and culture.”

Interested in hosting? Hosts are needed in 2026, learn more by visiting livelearn.com.