In need of a room

Elise Gee

NEWPORT-MESA -- Tiago Da Costa is polite, quiet, curious about

America and has a million stories about Brazil -- all the makings of a

great foreign exchange student except for one thing: he doesn’t have a

home.

Da Costa, 17, arrived from Brazil a week ago to attend Newport Harbor

High School, but due to a family emergency his host family no longer has

a room for him.

“I moved him to a temporary home last night, but I hope to get him a

permanent home within a week,” said program coordinator Ralph Short.

Da Costa is an exchange student under the Organization for Cultural

Exchange Among Nations. The program encourages families in foreign

countries to send their children to the U.S. to study English language

and American culture in an effort to build future leaders, Short said.

Da Costa has already made friends while in-line skating -- one of his

favorite hobbies -- and hopes to try out for the school’s soccer team.

The 17-year-old also has a keen interest in computers.

Da Costa, a native Portuguese-speaker, has studied English since grade

school and is working on perfecting his English speaking ability.

Students in the exchange program have their own spending money and

insurance and are required to participate in family activities, including

chores and church attendance.

For more information on sponsoring Da Costa or other exchange

students, call (949) 675-0423.