--- title: ICES Blog | Brad Owens description: Brad has enjoyed working with international people for decades. He spent two years working with the refugee population in Austria after college, and then returned to the U.S. to raise a family and host exchange students--15 students so far, from 11 countries. Brad has a degree in English Communications from Montreat-Anderson College, and loves sharing the benefits of cultural exchange. He currently works as the Marketing Director for ICES. --- [![ices@2x](https://blog.icesusa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/ICES_Logo_%20sm_wht.png?width=77&name=ICES_Logo_%20sm_wht.png)](https://www.icesusa.org/)   - [INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS](https://www.icesusa.org/international-student-exchange-programs/) - [HOST A STUDENT](https://www.icesusa.org/host-a-student-overview/) - [AMERICAN STUDENTS](https://www.icesusa.org/american-student-exchange-programs/) - [WORK WITH US](https://www.icesusa.org/student-exchange-careers-and-partnerships/) - [ABOUT US](https://www.icesusa.org/about-us-overview/) - [CONTACT US](https://www.icesusa.org/contact-ices/) - [BLOG](https://blog.icesusa.org) [Let's Talk](https://blog.icesusa.org/contact)subscribe ### I’d like to learn more about Campaign Creators! # Welcome to Our Blog, It's Good to See You Subscribe to our blog today! ### Pick a topic, any topic. - [Recent Posts](https://blog.icesusa.org) ## Brad Owens ![Picture of Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) Brad has enjoyed working with international people for decades. He spent two years working with the refugee population in Austria after college, and then returned to the U.S. to raise a family and host exchange students--15 students so far, from 11 countries. Brad has a degree in English Communications from Montreat-Anderson College, and loves sharing the benefits of cultural exchange. He currently works as the Marketing Director for ICES. ### Recent Posts ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On August 25, 2023 ## [They're Here! The Excitement of Exchange Student Arrivals](https://blog.icesusa.org/theyre-here-the-excitement-of-student-arrivals) It’s officially arrival season! And we’re not just talking about the labor and delivery section of your local hospital. This is... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Youth Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/youth-exchange), ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On June 16, 2023 ## [Host Dad Heroes: Father's Day Edition](https://blog.icesusa.org/host-dad-hereos-fathers-day-edition) It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s . . . a [HOST DAD](https://blog.icesusa.org/dad-to-dad)! He may not wear a cape or fly through the sky, but nonetheless, host dads are... *( read )* Tags: [Host Families](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-families), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Youth Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/youth-exchange), ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On June 9, 2023 ## [Student of the Month - May 2023](https://blog.icesusa.org/student-of-the-month-may-2023) Congratulations to Anna Zavatta for being chosen as the ICES Student of the Month for May, the final winner for this school year!... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On May 2, 2023 ## [Students of the Month - April 2023](https://blog.icesusa.org/students-of-the-month-april-2023) This month, it is our pleasure to recognize not just one Student of the Month… but to shine a light on our ICES *StudentS* of The... *( read )* Tags: [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month), [Host an exchange student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-an-exchange-student) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On March 31, 2023 ## [Student of the Month - March 2023](https://blog.icesusa.org/student-of-the-month-march-2023) Congratulations to Lucia Nombela-Fierros for being chosen as our ICES Student of the month for March! Lucia is from Madrid,... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On March 25, 2023 ## [Bringing Hope to Hospice](https://blog.icesusa.org/bringing-hope-to-hospice) Exchange students are eager to share their culture and language, but they don’t expect to do so in a hospice center. Yet for... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [bringinghope](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/bringinghope) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On March 7, 2023 ## [Student of the Month - February 2023](https://blog.icesusa.org/student-of-the-month-february-2023) Congratulations to Yago Sureda Sanchez for being chosen as our [ICES Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/SOTM%20flyer.pdf) for February!  Yago is from [Madrid, Spain](https://www.esmadrid.com/en)... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On February 14, 2023 ## ["What I Love About My HOST State" Valentine's Contest Winners](https://blog.icesusa.org/what-i-love-about-my-host-state-valentines-contest-winners) When Valentine's Day was on the horizon, we asked our students to take the idea of "love" in an exciting new direction with a fun... *( read )* Tags: [Host Families](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-families), [Host an exchange student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-an-exchange-student), [Student Experience](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-experience), ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On January 30, 2023 ## [Student of the Month - January 2023](https://blog.icesusa.org/student-of-the-month-january-2023) Congratulations to Giada Lucioli for being chosen as the [ICES Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/SOTM%20flyer.pdf) for January!  Guida is from [Siena, Italy](https://www.discovertuscany.com/siena/) and... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On January 12, 2023 ## [Student of the Month - December 2022](https://blog.icesusa.org/student-of-the-month-december-2023) Congratulations to Beatrice Patti for being chosen as our ICES Student of the month for December! Beatrice is from [Sicily, Italy](https://www.britannica.com/place/Sicily),... *( read )* Tags: [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On December 15, 2022 ## [Student of the Month - November 2022](https://blog.icesusa.org/student-of-the-month-november-2022) Congratulations to Seoyun Choi for being chosen as our [ICES Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/SOTM%20flyer.pdf) for November!  Seoyun is from [Yongin-si, South...](https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/yongin-si/m0227bv?hl=en) *( read )* Tags: [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month) ![](https://blog.icesusa.org/hubfs/Brad%20Owens%20PR2.png) By [Brad Owens](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens) On November 8, 2022 ## [Student of the Month - October 2022](https://blog.icesusa.org/student-of-the-month-october-2022) Congratulations to Monica Serrano Aguilar for being chosen as our very first ICES Student of the Month for this school year.... *( read )* Tags: [Cultural Exchange](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange), [Exchange Student](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student), [Student of the Month](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/student-of-the-month) [VIEW MORE](https://blog.icesusa.org/author/brad-owens/page/2) ### Posts by Tag - [Cultural Exchange (141)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/cultural-exchange) - [Exchange Student (106)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/exchange-student) - [Host Families (97)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-families) - [Host an exchange student (78)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/host-an-exchange-student) - [Youth Exchange (68)](https://blog.icesusa.org/tag/youth-exchange) ## Subscribe to Our Blog Today! ![Boris\_ICES\_Ads](https://blog.icesusa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Boris_ICES_Ads.png?width=749&height=698&name=Boris_ICES_Ads.png) - [INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS](https://www.icesusa.org/international-student-exchange-programs/) - [HOST A STUDENT](https://www.icesusa.org/host-a-student-overview/) - [AMERICAN STUDENTS](https://www.icesusa.org/american-student-exchange-programs/) - [WORK WITH US](https://www.icesusa.org/student-exchange-careers-and-partnerships/) - [ABOUT US](https://www.icesusa.org/about-us-overview/) - [CONTACT US](https://www.icesusa.org/contact-ices/) - [BLOG](https://blog.icesusa.org/) © 2019 ICES - INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE SERVICES - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.