The San Diego Diplomacy Council is currently looking for six local families to host business leaders from Eastern Europe or Southeast Asia coming to California on a fellowship program. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the program hosts young professionals between the ages from 25-35 who are up-and-coming leaders in their countries. 

 

According to Heidi Knuff, the director of custom programs and services for the council, the professionals are fluent in English and are in San Diego to work 40 hours a week with local companies. They have stipends for public transportation, and host families are only asked to give them access for breakfast and dinner meals in their home. 

 

“The idea is to see what life in San Diego is like,” Knuff said. “Host families can show them around San Diego if they’d like to.” 

 

Knuff said that while there are benefits such as tax write-offs for the host families, most people do it for the experience and the friendships. A lot of host families — like Isela and David Rouillard — end up hosting again and again. The Rouillards have been volunteering for 10 years, hosting diplomats from places like Nepal, Turkey, and Russia. 

 

“It brings the world to your home,” Isela Rouillard said. “I’m not going to have time in my life to visit every single country in the world, but maybe they could come to me.” 

 

Anyone interesting in learning more about the program and signing up to be a host family can email Knuff at [email protected]